The Siren's Song
by Ms.Bells.Swan
Summary: He spun her around, kissing her fiercely. It was amazing. He pulled away, his eyes still closed to savor the moment. "Wha-Malfoy?" Ginny cried. She turned around and tore off through the grounds, leaving him standing there, staring wistfully after her.
1. Chapter 1: The Tower

Chapter One

"Drakkie-kins! Drakie, where are you?" Pansy giggled from around the corner. Draco cringed and willed himself to disappear. Pansy giggled again and ran down the corridor, still as big and idiot as ever. Draco slipped through a side passage and silently made his way to the Great Hall where he could get lost in the crowd.

It was then, as he was walking through the halls, hiding from Pansy again, when he heard it; the most beautiful music floating around the grounds. So beautiful, in fact, that even Draco Malfoy stopped mid-step, and ear cocked to the sky, and suddenly couldn't remember where he was going or why. The only thought in his head was that he had to discover what glorious creature could make such a sound. He followed it through the school and up onto the Astronomy Tower. There, leaning against the railing nonchalantly, was a girl. She had her back to him, her brilliant red hair dancing in the breeze, and he started forward with a strange longing to see her face. Her voice was crystalline, purer than that of the magnificent phoenix. He quickened his pace, strode to her, spun her around, and closed the space between them. His lips crushed against hers and he put his hand against her middle back and pressed her against him. Never in his sixteen years of life had he ever felt a kiss this passionate. It was sweet, but violent. Familiar and mysterious. It was magical. And all too soon, it was over. She pushed him away, her green eyes wide and almost frightened. She took a shaky breath and took a step backwards. It took him a minute to realize that he knew the girl who was standing in front of him.

"Wha-Malfoy?!?" Ginny Weasley said incredulously. She stared at him with shock and confusion, touching her lips. Then, before he could say anything, she turned and ran from the Tower.

_What the hell did I just do?!?_ Draco mentally screamed at himself. _And more importantly...why the hell did I like it so much???_

He counted to twenty before taking off to find her.

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"Wha-Malfoy?!?" Ginny said incredulously, touching her still tingling lips. She couldn't believe that he, a pure-blooded Malfoy, had just kissed her, a blood-traitor. And a Weasley, no less! And more importantly, why did she wish he would hunt her down and do it again? She raced to an empty corridor and started pacing, dreading the headache she was bound to get. Ron always did warn her about her stress level. Well, this was definitely bound to get her worked up. Speaking of her irritating older brother, as she tried to relax her pulse, Harry, Ron, and Hermione saw her and made their way over. Ron looked ticked off. It was obvious that he and Hermione had been fighting again.

"Hey, Ginny," Hermione sighed as she slid to the floor, leaning against the wall.

"Hey guys…"Ginny mumbled, lost in thought. For some reason, she couldn't focus on anything but Malfoy. The ghost of his lips pressed against hers made her shiver with delight.

"So, Ginny, there's a trip to Hogsmeade coming up this weekend…you got any plans yet?" Ginny looked up to see that it was just her and Harry, all alone. Harry leaned against the wall, trying to look nonchalant.

"Um…not really. I was actually just going to hang out with Luna or something." _Why does he want to know?_ She thought to herself. Harry had been acting rather odd lately. Less brotherly. More like the other guys at the school. It was really irritating. Harry had always been there for her when she had no one else to go to. He had saved her life countless times and he was practically family. Why did he suddenly have to get all awkward? Although, it made sense that people expected them to go out. He was familiar territory. He was safe and cozy. _But maybe I don't WANT safe and cozy? What if I want risky and mysterious?_ She inwardly groaned at the direction her thoughts had taken as a certain white-blonde Slytherin popped into her head.

"So…what do you think?" Harry looked a bit uncertain at her silence. She realized that while she had been ranting to herself, he had been asking her something.

"Er, about what, exactly?" He flushed and looked down at the floor for a moment. Then he looked Ginny straight in the eye and stepped closer to her.

"This." Before she could say or do anything, he had one hand on her waist and one cupping her face. He gently pressed his lips to hers. After a moment or two, he pulled away.

"Why does this keep happening to me?!?" Ginny murmured.

"Er…what?" Harry seemed taken aback.

"First Malfoy in the Tower, now you in the corridor…what's next, Neville in the common room?!? Is there a sign on my back that's begging people to come up and kiss me???" She groaned, frustrated, and started pacing again.

"Malfoy did what?!? Where is that bloody ferret, I'm going to kill him! That lying, cheating, pratting mummy's boy! I'm surprised you didn't use your brilliant bat-bogey hex on him right then and there!" Harry started to storm away, but Ginny finally realized what was happening.

"Harry, no! You can't do that. You don't need to get in trouble again! And Malfoy isn't worth it; he's just a stupid git who needed excitement for a moment," She pulled on his arm, trying to keep him there. But she wasn't scared that Harry would get in trouble. Oddly enough, she was afraid that Malfoy would get hurt.

"Ginny, you can't just expect me to sit by and let the git get away with taking advantage of you like that!" Harry fumed as he spun to face her. "Ginny, I refuse to let you sit by and take this. And you know Ron will hex him into next month when he finds out!" Ginny suddenly pictured Malfoy lying, unconscious, in a hospital bed because of her brother. She was about to protest, horrified, that Ron couldn't find out, when Harry suddenly became extremely somber, staring into her eyes earnestly, his face mere inches from hers.

"Ginny, I refuse to let this go." He stated decisively.

"Harry…" she trailed off, pleading with her eyes. He sighed and cupped her face in his hands.

"Ginny, you really have no idea how much you mean to me, do you?" He murmured.

_Oh great,_ I thought to myself,_ now he's declaring his undying love for me. Damn, this day just keeps getting better._

"Harry, don't do this. I'm not in the mood right now. Malfoy kissed me. So what? It's no big deal. It didn't mean anything!" She was about to continue when she heard a voice from behind her.

"Unless it did." Harry stiffened up and turned around slowly, dropping his hands but putting a protective arm around her shoulders.

"Malfoy."

"Potter." The two of them greeted each other coldly, but Malfoy had a smirk on his face and a mischievous glint in his eyes. He walked a few steps closer and stopped, looking supremely arrogant.

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" Malfoy laughed smugly.

"Kinda,"

"No!" Ginny and Harry spoke at the same time, Harry growling and Ginny feeling oddly guilty at having been found with him.

"Well, well, Potter. Looks like your little girlfriend's got different ideas than you do," then, addressing Ginny, he cooed at her in a slimy, creepy voice. "Love, is The Creepy One bothering you?"

"Not as much as you are, Death Creeper." Harry replied coolly. Malfoy moved directly in front of her, reached out, and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.

"Weaselette, don't bother with this boy. He's not worth your time. After all, Slytherins are loyal and respectable. Gryffindors are merely…brave little gits." Ginny decided it was time to step in as Harry gasped, rather girlishly.

"Shove off, Mal-ferret." She put as much venom as she could into it, but it wasn't nearly as effective as she had hoped. He simply smiled widely and gave her a confident, slightly sexy look.

"Darling, you're self-confidence is astounding. But, my dear, I did have a question for you. Incidentally, I believe you have already had another offer, but I figured I should take my chances and ask anyway." Harry tensed up, his arm tightening around Ginny's shoulder, and she suddenly felt like she was going to be sick.

_He is NOT going to do this. No way._

"Well, I assume you are aware of the upcoming trip to Hogsmeade."

_This isn't happening. This is SO NOT HAPPENING. This isn't happening, this is NOT happening._

"And I overheard that you don't have any plans…"

_Not happening! Not happening not happening not happening!_

"So I was wondering…"

_NOTHAPPENINGNOTHAPPENINGTHISISNOTHAPPENINGTOME!!!!_

"If you would like to go with…me." He cocked his head, flashing a conceited smile.

_NO! NONONONONONONONONO!!!!!!!!!_

Ginny grabbed Harry's arm and held him back as he lunged for Malfoy, who stood there and laughed. Harry was jerking and yanking his arm away from her, he pulled out his wand and, to her immense pleasure, Malfoy stopped laughing and gave him a cool glare.

"Harry, put your wand away. Now. And Malfoy! You are such a git!!!" Ginny glared at the two of them, furious that they were acting so childish. Harry lowered his wand and Malfoy turned to her.

"Ginny, in case you decide to take me up on my offer…" before continuing, he moved extremely close to her, tilting her chin up so she was looking directly into his silver eyes fringed with golden lashes. "You know where to find me," he whispered into her ear. He then leaned down and planted a firm, slightly desperate kiss on her plump lips and walked away.

Harry was visibly shaking. Ginny slowly took his hand and led him to the common room, hoping that Ron and Hermione could calm him down.

As she walked away, she couldn't help but flush. Draco Malfoy had just called her Ginny.

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Draco peered around the corner, watching Potter and Weaselette walking away hand in hand. He scowled, wanting to kick himself. He had to go and torture Potter. He had practically thrown Ginny at him. _Since when do I think of her as Ginny anyway?!?_ He groaned and headed towards his common room. As soon as he entered, Pansy ran up and jumped on him.

"Drakkie-poo! Where have you been? I was looking for you!" she giggled her irritating laugh and led him to a sofa in front of the fire.

"Pansy..." he began, not really sure what to say. "I'm not really feeling well. I think I'll just...go to my room," Pansy wimpered in a most unattractive fashion and Draco left in a hurry. He had just lied down and stated drifting off into an uncomfortable sleep when the door slammed open, then shut, and his roommate, Blaise, stormed it.

"Bloody Gryffindors got me detention!!!" he ranted. Draco groaned and sat up.

"Zabini, was there something specific you wanted, or did you simply want to tic me off to the point of hexing you silent?" he glared. Blaise stopped stomping around, looked at Draco, and started laughing.

"Wow. What happened to you? Sorry, mate, but you look aweful!"

"Yeah, I know. You can blame Potter and his little...girlfriend." Draco spit the last word, putting all the venom he felt at Potter into it.

"Uh-oh. What is it this time?" Draco was about to explain everything that had happened when he realized something. If he did that, he would have to admit that, even for one second, he had..._felt_ something for Weaslette. And that was unnacceptable. So instead he flopped back down on the bed and groaned, closing his eyes. Thankfully, Blaise was in a mood of his own and didn't press it. After awhile, Draco got up and slipped out unnoticed, intent on walking until his feet went numb.

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"Ginny, whether you like it or not, I'm going to get him back. I will not stand by and let you suffer because he's a bloody little ferret with no manners!" Harry was still fuming as they reached the Fat Lady portrait. After giving the password, Ginny pulled him inside, her fingers still laced with his.

"Oy! What's going on over there?" Ron called, his face livid. His eyes were glued to their hands. Ginny sat Harry on the couch next to him, before seating herself on the floor in front of them. Hermione, sitting in an armchair next to them, looked up from her books and raised her eyebrows. Ginny's hand was still in Harry's, and she was afraid if she pulled away he would go Malfoy hunting.

"Harry, would you like to explain why you keep muttering 'gonna kill the bloody bastard' under your breath, or should I ask Ginny?" Hermione had gone back to reading _Muggle History Throughout the Ages _but she still managed to be worried for Harry.

"Malfoy. Kissed. Ginny." He growled, gripping my hand even tighter.

"WHAT?!? WHY, THAT BLOODY BASTARD! HE'S GONNA PAY FOR TOUCHING MY LITTLE SISTER!!! I'M GONNA KILL HIM!!!" Ron roared, causing some first years to squeak and scurry away from them. Ginny waited until he had stopped screaming before defending herself.

"It's not that big a deal," she murmured quietly.

"Excuse me? Did my little sister, Ginevra Weasley, friend to Harry fucking Potter and the girl known school-wide to have the best Bat-Bogey hex in all of England just say that KISSING a MALFOY isn't a big deal?!?" Ron was pacing rapidly, tearing random parchment into shreds and throwing them into the fire.

"Really. It wasn't that bad," she started, more to herself than the others, but as soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them. Hermione had dropped her book on the ground. Harry was digging his nails into her palm. Ron's face was turning a very dark shade of purple, looking like he was going to explode. However, when he finally managed to speak, his voice was low, threatening, and growling.

"Not. That. Bad? So, you're saying you…enjoyed kissing him?" His glare made her want to disappear.

"Well, I mean…I didn't…want him to kiss me but…it wasn't…unenjoyable, exactly. I mean…he kissed me. So what? Its over and he's never going to do it again," she finished, sinking onto the couch and cowering into Harry's shoulder. Harry put an arm around her and stroked her hair, pulling her closer. He looked off, deep in thouht.

"That's not all, though." Harry finally spoke up. "He also asked her to go to Hogsmeade with her." The other two gaped at her.

"Well, you conveniently left _that_ out!" Ron glared at her. "Of course, you're not allowed to go anyways, so even if you had wanted to, you couldn't." He said it like it was a decided thing.

"Uh-oh," Hermione muttered into her book.

"I'm not ALLOWED? Who died and made you mum?" She cried.

"Hey! I happen to be your older brother! I know what's best for you!" Ron fumed. Ginny jumped up, away from Harry, and smacked her brother across the face.

"YOU are not the boss of me. YOU don't decide who I do or do not date! I am a responsible, smart young lady who can decide for myself who I date!" She shrieked at him. At this point, the common room had fallen silent and they were all staring at the bickering siblings. Ginny picked up her bag and stormed out of the common room.

"And where are YOU going?!?" Ron roared as she walked away. Suddenly she got an idea. As she exited the common room, she shot back a reply over her shoulder:

"To ask Malfoy what time we are meeting to go to Hogsmeade!" With that, she slammed the portrait shut, leaving behind a visibly steaming Ron, shocked Hermione, and heart-broken Harry.

**A/N: Hope y'all enjoy it! It's my first Fanfic, so bear with me! Review please!!!**


	2. Chapter 2: The Beach

Chapter Two

Draco wandered around the grounds, not paying attention to anything. He was extremely frustrated with himself. He couldn't get the red-haired beauty out of his head. All he saw when he closed his eyes was her long red hair swirling in the wind as she sang. Then he began to see a different image; _she and Harry, snogging in a closet. She was running her fingers through his hair, her lips on his. He slid his hands down her back, pulling her closer. Then she began playing with his robes and he_

"Gah! Snap out of it!" Draco told himself out loud. He continued wandering, trying to think of anything but her. He suddenly found himself out by the lake. As he walked down to the shore, he caught a glimpse of fire shooting out from behind a willow. He slowly made his way over and slid over to see what was going on. To his immense surprise, none other than Ginny Weasley was sitting there, firing hexes out to the trees on the other bank. She was crying, angrily but sadly.

"Ginny…" She jumped at the sound of his voice and tried to wipe the tears from her eyes. He froze when she turned her wand on him accidentally, and she burst into fresh tears and lowered it. Draco, who had always been uncomfortable around crying women, stood there uncertainly for a moment before hesitantly sitting beside her. She leaned into his shoulder, wrapped her arms around him, and cried silently for a while.

"Now, do you want to calm down and tell me what's going on, or are you just going to continue sobbing?"

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Ginny had heard him walk up. She felt him sit down next to her. She felt him put an arm around her and gently pull her against his shoulder. She couldn't help throwing her arms around his waist, hugging him even closer. She finally started to calm down, breathing more steadily.

"Now, do you want to calm down and tell me what's going on, or are you just going to continue sobbing uncontrollably?" Malfoy pulled away a little and tilted her head up so that she was looking into his silver eyes. She thought about it for a moment and then leaned her head on his chest.

"It's my idiot brother," she started quietly. "He…he found out about…what you did. What we did."

"Ah. I see. So, should I study up on protective charms and defensive spells, or would it be better to hide out in the common room for awhile?" she could tell he was smiling by the tone of his voice, and she giggled a little hysterically.

"Personally, I would flee to France immediately. That seems the safest route."

"I've never been one to run away…maybe I'll come down with a terrible illness and have to be quarantined?" He chuckled. "Seriously, though. What happened when he found out?"

"Well, he started going off about how it was 'unacceptable' and how I'm 'not allowed to date you, even if I wanted to' and all that. And…I guess I just couldn't take him bossing me around. So I…well, I told him off and came out here." She smiled, remembering the look on Ron's face when she had stormed out. He had looked…murderous. She was suddenly very happy that Draco was with her instead of wandering alone in the castle, just in case.

"Wow. You did that? I'm impressed. He must be fuming." Draco squeezed her shoulder.

"Yeah…" they trailed into silence, watching the lake ripple and splash as first years played around.

"Would you…want to walk around the lake with me?" Draco asked, feeling very awkward. Ginny smiled and nodded, getting up. The walked around the lake in near silence, only talking when absolutely necessary. The reached the other bank and Ginny took her shoes off and slipped into the water up to her thighs. Her skirt hem floated at the surface, revealing tight white thighs. She sighed happily as the cool water lapped at her stomach. Her white Oxford shirt became see-through where the water touched it. Draco slipped out of his shoes and socks, rolled up his pants, and pulled off his shirt and tie. He stood beside her and she smiled at him.

Ginny turned to look at him and barely held back a gasp. She had a sudden urge to reach out and touch his chest, his chiseled muscles. She blinked rapidly and then looked out at the water again. He carefully slid his hand in hers and pulled her deeper into the water. She laughed softly and shoved him.

"Oh, you're in for it now!" He cried. He grabbed her, picked her up, and threw her into the water. She laughed and jumped on him. He grabbed her legs and piggy-backed her so deep they were both underwater. She swam up to the surface and he chased her around, splashing her, until she eventually collapsed on the sand. Her shirt was completely see-through and her skirt was clinging to her legs; his pants were soaked as well. He fell down beside her, laughing, and brushed a strand of wet red hair out of her eyes.

"Draco," she whispered, suddenly very serious. She searched his eyes for some indication of his feelings, but found none. He stared back at her, completely absorbed in the moment.

"Ginny," he murmured, begging her to go on. She looked so…fragile. But not weak. She had never looked weak to him. Slowly, she sat up, and he did the same. She scooted closer and leaned in, still gazing at him. Ever so slowly, she pressed her lips to his and put one hand on the back of his neck. He moved so that their bodies were pressed together and his arms wrapped around her waist. The kiss became more passionate, with her sitting in his lap and her hands were tangling in his long blonde hair. The kiss, sweet but desperate, went on.

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After Ginny stormed out, Harry had listened to Ron rant. Well, he hadn't really listened so much as he sat and waited it out. He couldn't hear anything properly; the blood was pounding too loudly in his ears. He didn't know whether to feel angry or heartbroken. After all, Ginny was going to go to Hogsmeade with Malfoy. But it was Malfoy who had kissed her and lured her in.

_Maybe she was just trying to get on Ron's nerves? Maybe she still despises him as much as I do._ He thought to himself. This cheered him up a bit, and he made his way to his dorm, continuing to think like that. Noticeably happier, he put away his books and was about to change for dinner when he heard laughing outside. Harry went to the window, hoping it wasn't Ginny's delighted shriek he heard outside with a male voice.

_Although, as long as it's not Malfoy, I could overlook her finding someone who makes her happy for awhile._ He realized. He studied more closely the figures across the lake and recognized her, splashing around. Her vibrant red hair flew everywhere, getting wet at the ends because of its length. Harry's heart swelled at the sound of her giggle. Then he saw her being picked up, and he turned his attention to the shirtless teenage boy. The white skin, the muscles that were obviously from Quidditch practice, and the voice all seemed familiar. It was only when he added the white-blonde hair that his blood started to boil. He tried to remain calm, knowing he should look away from them, but he couldn't. He continued watching as they lay on the sand, as she reached up, and as their lips met. However, it was when she pulled herself into his lap that Harry snapped. He roared, snatching up his wand, and stormed out of the room. He met Ron in the common room, and grabbed him. Hermione swiftly got up and followed.

"Harry, what's wrong? Harry, stop! Tell us what's wrong!" Hermione pleaded.

"Ron, what if I told you your sister is snogging Malfoy as we speak?" Harry snarled, quickening his pace.

"What?!? WHAT?!? She's SNOGGING him? I'm gonna KILL THAT BLOODY BASTARD!!!" Ron screeched. He and Harry streaked out of the castle and raced to the other side of the lake, with Hermione on their heels. They reached the other side and found Ginny and 'the bloody bastard' in the middle of a deep, passionate kiss. As Harry watched on in horror, Malfoy pushed Ginny back so she was lying on the sand with him over her. It was at this point that Ron lost all self control. He ripped Malfoy off of her with impressive strength, and threw him to Harry, who held him back. Harry was surprised to see Malfoy fighting back, snarling and trying to reach his wand.

Ron then reached down and wrenched his sister off the sand. She had a fiery look in her eyes, and she started clawing at him. Suddenly, Harry found it impossible to move. Apparently, so did everyone else. Hermione stepped out from behind a tree and shook her head. First, she addressed Ron.

"Ronald Weasley, leave your sister alone! You aren't the boss of her! You have no control of what she does, so leave her be!" Then she turned to Harry. "Harry, everyone knows you fancy Ginny. But you can't explode like this just because she doesn't share your feelings. Calm down!" Harry would have sulked, could he have moved. He felt embarrassed and idiotic. Finally, she rounded on Ginny. "Ginny, I don't know what you really feel. But please don't rush into things. Or lead someone on to irritate your brother. Please," Hermione turned, walked back to the tree line before releasing them from the body-binding curse.

Ron dropped Ginny on the sand. Harry shoved Malfoy off him. To his extreme irritation, Ginny raced to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He put an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.

"Malfoy," Ron started in a deadly tone.

"Weasel" he responded with an equally poisonous voice.

"Look, Malfoy. I don't like you messing around with my sister. I really don't think it's a good idea. I'm only looking out for her." He was trying to keep his tone reasonable.

"Weasel, you're an idiot if you think I don't care about her." Malfoy snapped. Ginny looked up at him with wide eyes. "I do. I really care about her. And I'm not the one who made her cry," he added. Ron's eyes grew wider and he seemed to calm down even more.

"I still don't like it." He muttered. Ginny sighed and stepped away from Malfoy. She walked up and gave her brother a hug.

"Ron, I know you don't like it. And I know you don't trust him. But you know what? We aren't jumping into anything. We just want to see where this takes us. We just want to see what happens. Ok?" Ginny pleaded. Harry saw Malfoy raise his eyebrows. She then put one arm around her brother and one arm around Malfoy and the trio walked back to the castle nearly peacefully, leaving Harry on the beach, all alone.


	3. Chapter 3: The Dorms

**A/N: Hey! Thanks for all the great reviews! Keep it up! Sorry this chapter's a bit shorter…I just needed to end it here so I could continue with the plot.**

Chapter Three

Later that night, Ginny and Hermione were in Ginny's dorm room. Ginny was sitting at the head of her bed, hugging a pillow to her chest, and Hermione was curled up at the foot.

"So, explain to me what happened on the Astronomy Tower?" Hermione asked.

"Well, I was practicing my solo for the Ball. You remember me telling you I got a solo in choir? So, I was practicing. And then all of a sudden, I'm being spun around by someone. And then…then whoever it was was kissing me. I didn't see a face at first. All I could think was how amazing the kiss was. Then it was over ad I was looking into Malfoy's amazing silver eyes…and then I turned and ran away," Ginny finished lamely, knowing that if she hadn't run, she wouldn't have run into Harry.

"And then…?" Hermione pressed, curious as ever.

"Um…then I started pacing the corridor. And then Harry came up and…well, I _think_ he asked me to go to Hogsmeade with him, but I wasn't really listening. I was too…obsessed with the memory of the kiss. Harry said 'so, what do you think?' and I asked him what he meant and he said 'this.' And then he kissed me," Hermione was staring at Ginny by now with incredulous eyes.

"And then what?"

"Then I sorta blew up about people kissing me all day…I mentioned Malfoy kissing me on the Tower…and Harry exploded! He was going to run off and tell Ron, and I told him not to, it didn't mean anything, and then…then Malfoy stepped out from the shadows. And made a big deal about it. And asked me to Hogsmeade. And…and then he kissed me again. And Harry blew up, pulling out his wand, and then I grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him here and…well, you know the rest." Hermione nodded, trying not to laugh as she remembered the look on Ron's face when Ginny and Harry had walked in holding hands. It was nothing compared to his reaction when he had seen Malfoy snogging with his sister.

Looking back, Hermione couldn't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, Malfoy had been serious about caring for Ginny. She had seen the way he looked at her when she wasn't looking. It wasn't exactly a platonic look. And when he put his arm around her, so protective and fierce. It was so…strange. Ginny had despised Draco since she first me him. Yet, now all they wanted to do was hide out in a closet and snog the day away.

_I'm definitely going to be keeping an eye on them,_ she thought to herself as she climbed in her own bed.

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Harry woke up the next morning feeling like crap. He had hardly slept at all last night, worrying about Ginny. He had spent countless hours trying to figure out what Malfoy could possibly want from her. And then he just thought about Ginny. He couldn't get her out of his head; he was too in love with her. Whenever he closed his eyes, she was there. He thought back to that summer night at the Burrow, wishing it had never ended.

_Harry walked out to the garden after dinner, unable to get comfortable with all the people crowded inside. He smiled when he saw Ginny sitting on a swing with her back to him, her red locks flying around in the wind. She was wearing a jean skirt and a dark blue tank top that went wonderfully with her hair. He sat down next to her, causing the old wooden swing to creak and sway. Ginny glanced at him, half-smiled, and then went back to staring at the gnomes playing in the hedges._

_"Hey Harry," she sat back and sighed._

_"Hey, Ginny. The crowd inside getting a bit much for you too?" he asked. She chuckled._

_"No, I just like to watch the sunset. It's so…magical," she whispered the last part reverently._

_"I see," he replied. They sat in silence. Ginny looked up at him through her lashes and took his hand in hers._

_"Harry, it's been really great spending the summer with you. I'm so glad you stayed here." She smiled shyly and he grinned. He removed his hand from hers and put it around her shoulders. She rested her head on his chest and sighed happily._

_"Ginny, I-"_

_"Harry, would you-" They both spoke at the same time and they chuckled, smiling to each other. Suddenly, they found that neither of them could look away. Her amber brown eyes locked on his emerald green ones. Slowly, Harry leaned down, cupped her face in his hand, and pressed his lips to hers. Her arm snaked around his neck and her hands tangled in his hair as she deepened the kiss. When they broke away, both gasping for air, the sun had almost completely disappeared. Ginny giggled and bit her lip._

_"What are you laughing at?" Harry wondered._

_"The last thing Professor Trelawny told me before the end of term was that I'd kiss the man I love at sunset," she admitted sheepishly, giggling even harder at the look of surprise and amused glee on his face and she reached up and kissed him again._

Remembering that night made Harry wish he could push Malfoy out of Gryffindor Tower. He had thought that this year would be his chance to finally spend time with Ginny as more than friends. He had finally decided that Ginny was more important than Ron's opinion. Yes, Ron was is best mate, but Ginny was more. Ginny was the woman he loved.

But then when he had asked her to go to Hogsmeade with him…she turned him down. For Malfoy!

"GAH!!!!" he cried, throwing a pillow across the room. The pillow hit the wardrobe which fell over, effectively waking up his roommates.

"OY!" Ron roared, shooting up and tripping over the sheets on his bed.

"ARGH!" Neville yelled as he fell out of his bed.

"NO!" Dean shrieked.

"DEATH EATERS!" Seamus jumped out of bed with his wand raised. It would have been quite impressive, had he not been holding the wrong end of the wand.

"Bloody hell, Harry!" Ron stared at him as if he had just declared that he wanted to work for the Quibbler and marry Luna. "What the hell happened?" Harry blushed and Ron moved to sit on the end of Harry's bed while Neville, Seamus, and Dean set about cleaning up, pretending they weren't listening.

"I…I was thinking about Ginny," he confessed. Dean's head snapped up at the mention of his ex-girlfriend.

"You were thinking about…Ginny? What about her?" Ron struggled to keep his tone merely lightly curious.

"Her and…_him_." Harry's eyes narrowed and his voice carried venom. Ron nodded unhappily.

"I know, mate. It's just not right, the two of them. But I tell ya, if he even THINKS of hurting her in any way, he'll find himself locked in a dungeon with a very angry, very hungry dragon!" Ron fumed. Harry sat back and made a decision. Just because Ginny trusted Malfoy didn't mean Harry had to.

_I will keep her safe,_ Harry vowed, _whether she likes it or not._

**A/N: Ok, I need ideas for Draco and Ginny's trip to Hogsmeade! Review! And send me your ideas! Next chapter isn't going up until I get 5 reviews, so tell your friends! :P K, thx!**

**-Ms. Bells Swan**


	4. Chapter 4: The Shrieking Shack

**A/N: Ok. So I know I said I wasn't posting any more chapters until I got 5 reviews, but seeing as I have no life and a great idea, thanks to Phoenix Falconer, I decided to go ahead and write chapter four. Plus, school starts on the tenth, so after that, I won't have as much time to write. So enjoy this, my spoiled readers. Enjoy! Review please!**

**Oh! And I keep forgetting to put up a disclaimer! So here's a blanket disclaimer for the first four chapters, and any I might forget to put a disclaimer on in the future!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters! Wish I did, but J.K. Rowling is the lucky lady there so…yeah.**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter Four

"Ginny. Gin. GINEVRA!" Ginny shot up in bed a few days later, glaring around the room, trying to find whoever it was that had awakened her so early in the morning. Her eyes finally landed on one fully dressed, too-perky-for-seven-bloody-thirty-am-on-a-Saturday, grinning-from-ear-to-ear Hermione. Her hair was pulled back and her eyes were bright. Ginny grimaced, knowing that she herself looked like shit. She felt as if she had gotten absolutely no sleep, and her eyes felt puffy from the tears that she couldn't explain and didn't understand.

"Unnggh. 'Rmione! Go 'way!" She groaned into her pillow. Hermione chuckled and yanked the sheets off. She then picked up a pillow and started beating Ginny with it until Ginny rolled off the bed and started retaliating. That lasted only as long as it took Hermione to pull her wand out of her pocket and transfigured the pillows into canaries, allowing the birds to fly out the door. Ginny glared at the seventh year and curled back up in bed.

"Ginny, hurry up. Come to breakfast so we can run back up and get you ready!" Hermione was practically jumping up and down.

"Ready…for what, exactly?" Ginny asked as she combed out her long red hair and put on a bit of eye make-up.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley, do you even know what today is?!?" Hermione cried. At a sheepish but confused look, she shrieked, "Merlin! Today is the day you have your date with Mal-er, Draco! You know, the weekend trip to Hogsmeade!!! How could you forget, it's all you've talked about for days! Nearly drove Ron mental, mind you. You leave at ten! Let's go, let's go, let's go!" Hermione pushed Ginny out of the dorm, through the common room, and down to the Great Hall. Ginny automatically scanned the room upon entering for a certain blonde-haired Slytherin, grinning and waving when she saw him beaming at her. He winked and she giggled, ignoring the incredulous looks of everyone else in the room.

She and Hermione sat down and grabbed pastries and pumpkin juice. They were joined by a ruffled up Ron and exhausted, silent Harry who appeared to be there under protest. The boys immediately dug into everything in sight, and Ginny sighed. She really was quite tired. Suddenly, the half-hearted conversation the Golden Trio were having stopped, mid-sentence. Ron put on a surly look and crossed his arms; Harry became intensely interested in his bacon; Hermione started up a too-loud conversation with Neville about Herbology homework. Ginny was about to turn around when someone whispered in her ear.

"Hello, Ginevra. You look particularly lovely today." Draco's voice was husky. Ginny squealed and turned around, giving him a peck on the lips and throwing her arms around his neck in a hug. He chuckled softly and raised his eyebrows, appraising her body with a bemused look. "So, is that the attire you are going to wear on our first date?" Ginny looked down at herself, unsure what he meant. Her cheeks flared bright red when she realized she was wearing baggy pajama pants and a skimpy camisole.

"Ha-ha, er, no. I was planning on changing. Speaking of which, I should probably do that now," She mumbled and grabbed Hermione. Draco followed her out into the hall.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not objecting. I just figured your brother might not like it as much as I do," he smirked back at Ron, whose face was tomato red with anger.

"Draco, please, don't provoke him!" Ginny called as she pulled Hermione up the stairs. Once they were back in the dorm room, Ginny ran to her trunk and started rifling through her clothes. She pulled out a short jean skirt and a tight-fitting green v-neck with long sleeves. On top of this she wore a grey vest and a long green and red scarf. On her feet she wore black converse. The topmost layer of her hair was pulled back in small clips while the rest of it was perfectly straight and cascaded down her back. She refreshed her eye make-up, added a bit of blush, and stuck her wand and a few Galleons in her pocket.

"Ooo! Ginny, you look perfect! He's gonna love you!" Hermione squealed when she saw the final project.

"Thanks! Are you coming at any point?" Ginny hoped the answer would be yes so that she wouldn't have to walk back downstairs alone.

"I dunno. Harry and Ron were going to go check out Fred and George's new shop but I'll probably just stay here and study," Hermione answered, but she didn't look Ginny in the eye. It seemed like more of an automatic answer though, like she was trying to keep from giving out too much information.

Making a mental note to visit Fred and George's, Ginny quickly grabbed her cloak and headed downstairs. She got to the bottom of the stairs, looking for her date. Instead, she found Harry walking aimlessly around with a glum look on her face.

"Hi Harry!" She greeted him.

"Wha-oh! Hi, Ginny. You look…fantastic," He deadpanned.

"So, will you be coming to Hogsmeade? You know, Fred and George opened another shop there!" She chirped, still craning her head for her boyfriend.

"Oh, er, I'm not sure right now. Ron and I were considering…but…I dunno," he stated. Ginny giggled awkwardly. Harry looked like he was gonna say something, even went o far as to grip my hands earnestly, but then his face froze and he dropped my hands. "You know what, Ginny? I should let you go. I'm sure your boyfriend will want you to himself," his voice was emotionless and he looked pointedly over her shoulder. She waved goodbye, extremely confused, and watched him walk away. She couldn't help but feel a bit hurt.

"Well. Isn't he…insistent," Draco grumbled in her ear, causing her to jump slightly and turn around.

"Oh, he's just being friendly," she insisted, looping her arms around his neck.

"Well, I don't like it. Not one bit. It looks to me like he just can't accept the fact that you're mine," Draco insisted, his eyebrows furrowed together.

"Calm down, Draco, I'm sure you're mistaken. And it's like you said; I'm yours. Not his. No need to get so jealous!" She fought back a delighted laugh at the look on his face.

"Alright…but if he tries anything, he's gonna wake up one morning walking himself off a cliff," Draco growled before turning his full attention to her. He smiled and leaned forward at the same time that she stood up on her toes. Their lips met in the middle, their bodies pressed together. Her hands tugged gently on his long blonde hair, his hands sliding down her back and resting on her waist. He tried to deepen the kiss, but she pulled back, smirking as he pouted.

"C'mon. Let's head to Hogsmeade, maybe find a corner booth at the Three Broomsticks," she smiled alluringly and winked, finding his hand. He chuckled and shook his head.

"Actually, I had another location in mind."

"Oh, please don't tell me we're going to Madame Puddifoot's!" She cried in horror.

"That disgusting sin shack? I wouldn't dream of it!" He replied, pretending to be appalled. She laughed and then looked at him with curiosity.

"But, then, where are we going?"

"Well, for starters, I thought we should drop in your brother's shop…" he trailed off at the surprised look on his face.

"Really??? I thought you wouldn't want to…after all, my brothers don't know about us and…well, you're not really their favourite person right now…" she trailed off, thrilled that he was willing to go with her.

"Ginny, I'm a Malfoy. No one understands family duty and such like I do." And on that somber note, they walked off, ignoring the stares of people who simply didn't understand the sight of Harry's best mate's sister walking hand in hand with his worst enemy.

Walking into Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was like walking through a little kid's dreamland. Every practical joke you could imagine was hung up on the walls, just waiting to be bought. Ginny squealed as she walked in, feeling very melancholy. She squeezed Draco's hand, and he put his arm around her shoulders so she could explore the shop more freely. She laughed and wandered through the crowd of Hogwarts students, occasionally stopping to pick something up and examine it. She was examining the newest litter of Pygmy Puffs when the door at the top of the stairs opened up and out walked Fred and George, wearing matching neon yellow suits. Ginny raced forward, leaving Draco behind, and greeted her brothers enthusiastically. She threw her arms around George and then squeaked as Fred lifted her up and spun her around in the air.

"Well, well, lookie here, George! It's our dearest little sister, Ginevra!" Fred exclaimed.

"Well, well, looks like you're right, Fred! Don't tell me she's here in Hogsmeade all alone!" George gasped. Ginny was about to reply with her own snarky comeback, but before she could, a voice came from behind her.

"Actually, she's here with me," his voice wasn't cold or hurtful. In fact, it was soft and…bashful? Was it possible that Draco Malfoy was…embarrassed? Or maybe nervous?

Fred and George looked at him, looked at her, looked at each other, then looked at her again.

"Care to explain what the hell going on here?" George's voice felt like a knife was going through her back.

"Yeah, what bloody gives, Ginny?" Fred was more shocked than angry, but it still hurt. Ginny shied away from them, cringing into Draco's shoulder. He rubbed her shoulder and whispered reassuringly to her. Fred and George were staring at her like she'd had a mishap with one of their Heavy Head Spells.

"Ginny…does…does _Harry_ know?" George asked.

"Yeah! He was head over heels for you, last we heard!" Fred cried. Ginny's breath caught in her chest.

"Oh, yeah! Practically had Ron chopping his ears off!"

"Wouldn't leave us alone, he wouldn't," they carried on in stage whispers. Meanwhile, she felt Draco stiffen beside me. She decided it was time to interrupt, before things got any worse.

"You know, Draco, we better go. We've only got so much time left, and you had something planned," Fred and George grimaced, kissed her cheeks, and then turned to their customers. Ginny sulked until they were out the shop, and she felt Draco's analytical gaze on her as they trudged through the leaves that were falling off the trees lining the street.

"So. Potter's head over heels for you, huh?" there was a bit of a strain in his voice. Ginny had know from his reaction in the shop that something like this would happen, but had hoped it would be after the date. She sighed and thought about a certain night over the summer. She had been sitting on a wooden bench swing in her backyard, waiting for sunset. Harry had come up and joined her, and she had leaned her head on his chest. Then he had kissed her, and she had kissed him back. Looking back, she wasn't sure what had come over her. She knew she had gotten over Harry in her fourth year, when she had seen the way he looked at Cho and didn't feel jealous or upset at all. She had finally been able to let go of her feelings for him and date other guys. But then that summer kiss…she shrugged it off, assuming it must have just been the atmosphere, influencing her feelings. But Harry had seen it as something else. He had been acting weird ever since, like he really was in love with her. But…he couldn't be. Could he?

"Um…yeah, I guess so. I mean…this summer…yeah," she knew she was babbling, trying to find a way to put it that wouldn't cause Draco to put some sort of painful curse on Harry. Draco contemplated this, but didn't say anymore as he pulled her down the snow-covered road, past the Three Broomsticks and Zonko's. They dropped in Honeyduke's, Ginny purchasing a few sugar quills and Draco grabbing four blocks of dark chocolate fudge. He then pulled her close to him and led her further away from the other shops. Eventually, they came to none other than the Shrieking Shack. Ginny looked at him curiously, and he winked. He then pulled his wand out and murmured and incantation. As he lifted what she recognized as a disillusionment charm, she gasped. Laid out on the snow, under the cover of a willow tree, was a thick wool blanket and picnic basket.

"So? What do you think?" he asked, sounding nervous. She beamed, throwing her arms around him and crushing her lips to his. He responded enthusiastically, wrapping his arms around her waist. She trailed her fingers up his chest, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. Though it was a cold October day, her entire body felt hot as she molded to him. All too soon, Draco pulled away and led her over to the blanket, both of them out of breath. She chuckled a bit at his surprising gentlemanly attitude. He sat her down and opened the basket. Out came two champagne glasses, a bottle of butterbeer, some sandwiches prepared by the house elves, and the fudge he had purchased earlier.

"Draco…Draco, this is amazing! I can't believe this!" Ginny murmured as they finished the last of the fudge. She moved to sit next to him, leaning against his chest and sighing happily. He reached down and gently kissed her lips.

"Anything for you, love,"

It was the perfect moment of happiness. As Ginny was appreciating the blissful silence, it was ruined by a cry of anger and Draco being slammed into the tree trunk.

**Dun dun DUNNN! Hope you guys like it! Please review, your feedback makes my day! (I did mention that I have no life, right? :P Haha) Ok, well, I'm going to get started on the next chapter, maybe draw up a plot line or something…any ideas for the next few chapters would be welcome!**

**- Ms. Bells Swan**


	5. Chapter 5: The Willow Tree

**A/N: Hey! Ok, so I got really excited about this chapter and decided to spend all day working on it. So, once again, I spoil you, my readers. Fair warning, don't get used to it! School starts on the tenth, and I need to get SOME sleep! :P Ok, well, enjoy. I could really use some suggestions as to what happens next…I've received a few very good ideas from a friend of my little sisters, but I don't know if they will fit or not…hmm…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling does.**

Chapter Five

After his run-in with Ginny in the Entrance Hall, Harry had wandered off to visit the library in the hopes that he might be able to take his mind off of Ginny. All he could think about was how amazing she had looked, how brightly her amber-brown eyes sparkled when she laughed. He had made the mistake of looking back as he walked away and felt his blood chill when he saw how happy she was to be in the arms of Malfoy. He got to the library and sat down with Hermione, but all too soon he found his thoughts straying back to a certain red-headed goddess.

He decided to wander around, lost in his thoughts, and when he finally thought to look around him, he was wandering through Hogsmeade. An accidental glance at a store window and he was pulling on his Invisibility Cloak. He entered Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and snaked through the crowd to where Draco, Ginny, Fred, and George were talking. He saw the look of shock and anger on the twins' faces. He saw Ginny cringe into Draco's shoulder and his heart rate picked up. He saw Draco lead her away, and on some masochistic urge, he followed her.

Harry followed the couple through the shops and up a snow-covered lane, wondering where the hell they could be going. When they arrived at the Shrieking Shack, he rolled his eyes. Was Malfoy really going to try the old 'haunted house' trick? Ginny would never fall for that! He was in the middle of silently gloating when he heard Ginny gasp. He retched when he saw the romantic picnic laid out for them, and was horrified when Ginny launched herself at him. Harry found he was unable to look away from their frantic snogging, even though he was dying inside. He was frozen to the spot, forced to watch them enjoy their meal. When Ginny started cuddling up to Malfoy, telling him how wonderful he was, something inside Harry snapped.

He whipped his wand out of his pocket and flicked it at Draco, causing him to fly backwards and slam against a tree. Ginny screamed and Draco lay in a heap, barely moving. There were tears streaming down Ginny's face as she pulled out her own wand and started sending hexes all around. Harry cast a Shield Charm and a few of her more powerful hexes were deflected.

"Ronald Weasley, if that's you, you are DEAD!" She roared in anger, her voice shaking. Harry was shocked that she thought it was Ron, and he didn't notice the Stunning Spell she sent his way. It struck him and his entire body went board-stiff. She then murmured _Accio Invisibility Cloak_ and Harry's blood froze in his veins as the silvery cloak flew off of him into Ginny's outstretched hand. The snarling insults that she was throwing out seemed to stick in her throat when she saw who it really was. Harry begged with his eyes for her to go easy on him, for her to forgive him. The fire returned to her eyes and she glared at him before going to make sure Draco was ok. She helped the Slytherin up and, while placing a lingering kiss on his lips, she unfroze Harry and shot the cloak back to him.

Harry slipped the cloak over himself and raced away, shocked and very confused. He went immediately through the library, grabbing Hermione and dragging her with him, and up to the common room, finding Ron sitting by the fire. Harry practically threw Hermione down on the couch with Ron as he started pacing furiously.

"Blimey, Harry! What's wrong?" Ron was giving Harry weird looks and Hermione looked extremely worried.

"He…she…they…Hogsmeade-Shrieking Shack…cloak!" He stuttered.

"Sorry, Harry, could you say that again?" Hermione cautiously asked him. He did, with the same result. After three tries, she cast a calming spell on him and he relaxed slightly, sinking into an armchair.

"Merlin's pants, Harry! What's got you so tense?" Ron asked around a chocolate frog.

And so Harry told them everything. He told them about running into her in the Entrance Hall, he described Fred and George's shop, and then he explained about the Shrieking Shack. When he was done, Ron's hands were balled up in fists and he was glaring at the cushion as if it had personally insulted him. Hermione had curled up in a ball and looked confused, an expression that didn't often cross her face.

"So she…she distracted Malfoy so that you could get away without being seen?" Hermione sounded puzzled.

"Yeah! It was like, she was afraid of what Malfoy would do to me if he saw me. I dunno what that was about…but I have a feeling that I don't want to run into her anytime soon," Harry mused.

"Well, you don't know that for sure! Maybe she's over it! Maybe she's cooled down and forgotten about it!" Hermione replied lightly. Harry hoped she was right.

"Um, I wouldn't count on it, mate. Look who just walked in the door!" Ron murmured quietly. No sooner had he finished his statement than a cry came from the portrait hole.

"_**HARRY FRICKIN' POTTER! YOU ARE DEAD!**_"

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"_**HARRY FRICKIN' POTTER! YOU ARE DEAD!**_" Ginny screeched as she entered the common room after her date. Harry, along with everyone else in the room, stared at her. His eyes were huge, and he was hiding behind a frightened Ron. Hermione sat calmly on the couch, looking amusedly from Harry to Ginny and back again.

"G-g-g-Ginny! Hey…how was your date? Did you have fun?" Harry stuttered. Before Ginny did anything else, she shooed all the onlookers out of the room. Then she pulled her wand out and advanced on the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Don't you EVEN try that! I saw you at the Shrieking Shack. I SAW you! So don't you bloody dare to pretend it wasn't you!" She was only a few feet away from him at this point.

"Ginny, stop! I-I-I didn't mean to snoop! I was walking around Hogsmeade and just happened to come upon you and The Death Eater!" he lied, using one of his customary insulting nicknames for the blonde.

"Right. And then you _accidentally _shot off a curse that threw him back ten feet into a tree trunk and _knocked_ him _unconscious?!?_" She was visibly shaking with anger as she hit him with a Body-Bind Spell and he found himself frozen for the second time that day. She walked up to him with narrowed eyes, her face six inches from his, and hissed "The next time you follow me on a date, I will jinx you into next week. If you ever hurt Draco again, when he didn't clearly provoke you first, you will find yourself buried in a very deep ditch. Literally!" She walked to the stairs before releasing him from the body-bind.

Ginny was fuming as she climbed into bed. She couldn't believe that Harry was so stupid as to follow her on a date! But more than anything, she hoped Draco hadn't seen him. As mad as she was at Harry, she didn't want to give Draco any reason to hurt him. She slowly drifted into a fitful sleep, dreaming of Draco and Harry dueling in a boxing ring.

**Like I said, please review with any suggestions, plot ideas, or whatever you want. Thanks for reading!**

**- Ms. Bells Swan**


	6. Chapter 6: The Grounds

**A/N: Ok, it's very possible that this will be the last chapter for awhile. School starts on Monday (ugh D: I don't wanna go back!) and I will be so swamped with school, work, church, etc. that I probably won't be able to write as much. SO enjoy this slightly shorter, sorta boring chapter. BTW, it's even more dramatic when set against Hillary Duff's Fly. Or David Archuleta's Desperate. Just in case y'all care. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters involved.**

Chapter Six

Draco Malfoy was extremely confused. The past few days had been…unreal. He didn't understand why he was acting so…fluffy. He had planned a frickin' picnic! At the shrieking shack, of all places! He hit his head against the wall that he was leaning against. What was happening to him? Or rather, what was Ginny doing to him? He had never been one of those guys who dropped everything that was important to him and focused everything on his girlfriend. He never was one to dive head-first into a relationship, without even stopping to see if it was the right thing to do. He groaned and threw himself onto his bed.

"Draco, mate, you look awful. What's got you looking so horrible this time?" Blaise was casually spread out on the floor, practicing transfiguring his quill into a teacup and failing miserably. Draco considered not answering, but if he had ever had a friend to tell things to, it was Blaise.

"Ginny," he muttered. Blaise propped himself up on his elbow and raised an eyebrow.

"Ginny?"

"Yeah, you know Ginny. My girlfriend?" Draco replied sarcastically.

"What about Ginny?"

"I just…this relationship! I feel like I jumped in too quickly. I mean, I planned a romantic picnic for her! Doesn't that say anything?"

"Well, yeah. To me, it says that you either love her or you're on your way to loving her. Or you just don't want Potter to have her…but I'm pretty sure it's the first one," Blaise smirked. Draco thought about this, realizing how unlikely it was that he could be in love at all.

"Maybe we just…need to slow down?" Draco suggested, more to himself than Blaise, and groaned when the thought of slowing down made his heart tense up. He thought about this and sighed. He had made his decision; he knew what he would do.

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The next few weeks were strange. Ginny wasn't sure what to make of them. She would wake up, go to breakfast, and leave for classes without ever even talking to Draco. Then she would go to class and he would hardly look at her, unless she spoke directly to him. She couldn't figure out why he was avoiding her. She would invite him to study with her and he would make up an excuse. She would suggest a walk on the grounds and he would say he was coming down with something and had to stay in bed. It was getting old, to say the least.

She found herself spending more and more time with the Golden Trio, doing homework just to take up time. Once she had finished every speck of work she could come up with, she did odd jobs like hand-sort her underwear, clean out her trunk, and give herself a mani/pedi. It eventually got to the point where she would just sit and stare at the fire until it got late enough for her to fall directly asleep without giving her mind a chance to stray to all the things she didn't want to think about. She went to Madam Pomfrey and asked for a Dreamless Sleeping Draught so that she never had to deal with her own emotions. She excelled in her classes because she had nothing better to do than study, but the stress built up in her until one night, she couldn't take it.

She raced out of the common room to find her supposed boyfriend. She stormed around the castle and finally found him with the Slytherin quidditch team on the pitch. She was so angry that she was shaking. She stepped onto the pitch, glaring at them all.

"DRACO MALFOY, YOU GET YOUR SORRY ASS OVER HERE. _NOW!_" She yelled as loud as she possibly could. The players on their brooms chuckled and guffawed, watching Draco slowly make his way towards her. She grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him aside. She breathed in and out a few times, trying to calm down enough to speak.

"Draco, we need to have a conversation. Is there a reason you're avoiding me? Is this your way of saying you don't want to go out with me anymore? Because if that's what it is, I'd rather you just tell me!" She stopped to catch her breath. Draco opened his mouth as if to say something, closed it, opened it again, and then closed it again and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest.

"And where do you get off just avoiding me, anyway?" She continued. "I mean, do you know what type of HELL these past few weeks have been? At first I thought you were, like, embarrassed or something, because of what happened on our date. Then I started thinking it was because of school, or quidditch, or whatever. Now, the only reason I can think of is because I'm a Weasley and you're a Malfoy. But that still doesn't mean you can treat me this way! Do you realize that I've spent more time in the library than Hermione Granger lately? I have hand-cleaned my wand, my trunk, and every broom I could get my hands on. I bloody alphabetized Lavender's nail polish by color! WHAT THE HELL?!?" She lowered her voice as a couple of Hufflepuffs walked by, staring at her. "If you don't want to be with me, all you have to do is say so. You can't just avoid me!" She slumped against the wall, finally out of things to yell at him. She glared at him, waiting for him to say something.

"Ginny…" his voice was full of pain and exasperation. "Ginny, I…I can't…I don't…I…" he trailed off and she stood up.

"Fine. If you won't say it, I will." She cleared her throat and then went on, impersonating his deep drawl. "Ginny, I've been thinking and, well, I can't be in a relationship right now. I really need to focus on my studies and quidditch and…well, Ginny, it's over." Her voice cracked on the last word, her eyes filling up with tears. She turned and ran away, not paying attention to anyone or anything. She ran as fast as she could, feeling relief in the tears that were falling down her face. Her legs screamed as she pushed herself to go faster, and that gave her relief too.

"Ginny? Ginny, is that you?" Harry's voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts. She stopped, turned around with tears streaking down her face, and launched herself into his arms. She desperately crushed her lips to his, silently sobbing. She was shaking, clinging to him. He silently wrapped his arms around her and held her while she fell apart. She was still kissing him when a voice came from behind them.

"Ginny! Ginny, please, I-Potter?!?" Draco was panting, his voice turning to ice when he saw what was going on. He wrenched Ginny away from Harry and turned to her. "Ginny, what the hell is going on here?" He demanded. Her eyes narrowed in hate and she scowled at him.

"What's going on here, Malfoy, is none of your business! You broke up with me. You can't keep me from kissing who I want to kiss!" At this, Draco scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Actually, if you remember correctly, you broke up with you. You didn't even give me a chance to say anything!"

"Well you haven't exactly been talkative in the past month!" Harry was slowly backing away, and Draco grabbed his arm and roughly pulled him back towards them.

"I know, and I'm sorry. But you should at least hear me out before going off and throwing yourself at the first piece of crap that crosses your path!" He gestured to Harry and continued ranting, but Ginny barely noticed. She was too caught up in something else he had said. _You broke up with you. YOU broke up with YOU._ Not 'you broke up with me'.

"Wait. You…you weren't going to break up with me?" she interrupted in a whisper.

"No! I wasn't going to break up with you!" He stepped closer to her and looked into her bottomless brown eyes. She stretched up on her toes, kissed him lightly, and grabbed his hand.

"We need to talk. Let's go to the library," She started to lead him away, and he dropped her hand for a minute. He walked back to Harry, who was looking extremely awkward.

"Potter, I'm going to ask you one more time before I get mad. Stay away from Ginny. Unless she specifically asks you to, don't even look at her," he snarled. He then walked off with Ginny, leaving Harry standing there, baffled.

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"So let me get this straight. You were avoiding me because you're afraid that you like me too much?" Ginny wasn't sure whether she could believe him.

"Exactly! I've never really liked anyone like this before. I feel like we jumped into things too quickly. I was avoiding you so that we would have a chance to slow down. I guess it wasn't the best solution, but it was the only thing I could think of." He looked down at his feet. Ginny studied him for a minute before responding without meeting his eye.

"Well, then I guess we know what we need to do, right?"

"Um…br-break up?" His voice faltered and he felt his heart begin to crack at the thought.

"No!" Ginny was horrified that he would automatically come up with that. "We need to slow down. Not stop seeing each other completely, but not…jump in. No more snogging between classes, less 'walks around the grounds' and just generally cool off. Okay?" She glanced at him through her eyelashes and he nodded with a smirk.

"So, since we never broke up, does that mean I have a decent excuse to kill Potter?"

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~

Harry was frozen in his spot, watching Ginny pull Draco away. His brain felt about five minutes slow, and he continued to stand there as he went over what had happened in his mind. He did something that he normally doesn't do and made a list in his head.

He left the common room to visit Hagrid.

He saw Ginny run by him.

He noticed that she was crying.

He called out to her, causing her to turn around.

She launched herself at him, kissing him fiercely.

Malfoy found them.

Malfoy got mad at Ginny for kissing another guy.

Ginny said something about being single and able to kiss whoever she wanted.

Malfoy then said something about not having broken up with her.

She said they needed to talk.

Malfoy threatened Harry.

Ginny pulled Malfoy away.

Once he understood it, he was mad. He was mad that Malfoy could make Ginny cry and then just take her back without a fuss. He was mad that Ginny had only kissed him because she needed someone to kiss, not because she actually cared about him. He was mad that he had let her. He was mad that he wanted Malfoy to hurt her again so that she would kiss him like that again.

_It's official_, Harry thought to himself. _I'm even more pathetic than Ron._

**BTW, I am fresh outta ideas for the plot. REVIEW PLEASE! And when you do, send me any ideas that you have, no matter how strange. Something dramatic has to happen. Ok…so again, REVIEW! The more reviews I get, the faster I update.**

**- Ms. Bells Swan**


	7. Chapter 7: The Balcony

**A/N: Ok. This chapter is REALLY SHORT. Sorry. I was going to write more, but I need help. So when you review, please answer the question that is written under the chapter. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

Chapter Seven

Days flew by and nothing interesting happened. Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, and Ginny and Draco were still together. Mornings were spent in empty corridors, and, in the evenings, they hid away in the corner of the library. Harry, Ron, and Hermione hung out in the common room doing homework. Soon fall drifted into winter, and Christmas Break was fast approaching. Ginny spent more time studying than snogging, Hermione practically lived in the library, and Ron was an inch away from a break-down as they crammed for mid-terms.

After the last test of the semester, the Gryffindors turned the common room into a party. Someone got hold of LOTS of butterbeer, casting spells to keep the noise unnoticed. Everyone was so happy to be done; they let out all their stress and simply had fun. Even Hermione couldn't find anything to complain about.

"Ginny, you should come down and hang out!" Hermione tried to convince the redhead, who simply shrugged. She walked downstairs, glanced around, and left through the portrait hole. Ginny walked around the halls, letting her mind wander. She suddenly found herself on a balcony of sorts. She leaned on the railing, staring out into the black night.

"It's not safe to be out here alone at night," a low, husky voice murmured in here ear, soft hands resting on her waist. She jumped, spinning around and finding herself face to face with a certain blonde-haired Slytherin whose face was a near permanent smirk.

"Draco." She smiled, standing on her tip-toes to kiss him gently on the lips.

"Ginny." He wrapped an arm around her waist. They stood in silence for a few moments, staring up at the moon, thinking about various things.

"So…are you going home for the holiday?" Draco asked quietly, running his fingers through her long red locks absentmindedly.

"I was planning on it…I've got everything packed. What about you? Returning to the Malfoy Manor for Christmas?" She avoided his eyes as she said this, wondering what Christmas was like when spent with Death Eaters. He sighed, possibly guessing her thoughts.

"Well, Mum and Dad want me to but…I'll probably stay here and revel in the emptiness." Though he smiled at her, she could tell he was miserable at the thought of being all alone over the holiday.

"Would you like to come to the Burrow with me for Christmas?" she whispered, almost inaudibly.

"What?"

"Would you like to come home with me for Christmas?" this time she mumbled, her words getting tumbled up and confused.

"Excuse me?" he turned and looked her in the face, clearly confused. She took a deep breath.

"WouldyouliketocometotheBurrowwithmeforChristmas?!?" though the words were hasty and pushed together, she could tell he understood that time. He stood there, mouth slightly agape.

"You…you're inviting me to just walk into the Weasley home for Christmas, unannounced and uninvited? Me, you, Potter, Granger, and all of your brothers? For Christmas?" He looked as though he would laugh, and she turned away to keep him from seeing the ashamed tears filling up her eyes.

"All you had to say was n-no." She cringed when her voice broke, knowing he would blame himself. He spun her back around, and the look on his face told her the she was right.

"Ginny, I thought we were going to take this slow. I mean, Christmas with your family?"

"Well it's not like you're bloody moving in! It would be a chance for you to see a different type of Christmas celebration! I want to take you home, show you off! I want everyone to see that you're not that bad!"

"Ginny, I-I…I just…" he trailed off, trying to gather his thoughts.

"Draco, just answer, please. Will you come for Christmas?"

**PLEASE REVIEW! AND tell me what Draco should do. I have a pretty good idea of whats going to happen either way, but I need his answer. What do y'all think? And plot ideas would be fantastic!**

**- Ms. Bells Swan**


	8. Chapter 7 part 2: The Train

Chapter Seven, Part 2

**A/N: Here's the second part of Chapter Seven…and you all better be thankful and Review because I have hardly gotten any sleep lately as it is. I wrote most of this during Math class, so if I fail, I'm blaming you! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, for goodness sake!**

"Draco, just answer, please. Will you come for Christmas?" She stood there, tapping her foot and staring at him impatiently. He slowly decided what to do.

"Actually, I think that I'd rather just stay here…I've got a two-foot essay in Potions and…I think it would just be easier to focus if I'm alone. I mean…thanks for the invitation and all but…" he trailed off. She glared at him.

"Draco, don't lie to me. You don't want to come because you don't like my family! You're letting a stupid family feud get in the way of our relationship!"

"No! No I'm not! I just don't want to impose! I mean, there will be so many people there and I know you want to spend time with your family and all, so I'll let you do that and I'll stay here!"

"Fine! But think about this: while you're here, all alone, writing you supposed essay, I'll be sitting in front of the fire drinking butterbeer with Harry. When you open your presents on Christmas morning, Harry will be waking me up and piggy-backing me downstairs for breakfast. Think about that while you're having dinner with the Professors and first years!" she smirked as his face fell, his emotionless mask settling back into place. She turned on her heel and marched away. She trudged back to Gryffindor Tower. Her stuff was packed and she was ready to go home and not think about anything but the holidays. No sooner had she laid her head down on her pillow, willing herself to drift off into a nice dreamless slumber than Hermione was waking her up, looking flustered.

"Ginny! Ginny, wake up! You've already missed breakfast, and the train leaves in an hour! Ginny, get UP!" the bushy-haired witch was running around the room, flicking her wand at various items and causing them to fly into her open trunk.

"Ungggh." Ginny mumbled, rubbing her eyes and changing out of her flimsy pajamas. She packed enough of her stuff for the holidays, knowing that most of her muggle clothing was at the Burrow anyways. An hour later, most of the students were on their way to London. Ginny followed the Golden Trio into a compartment with Neville, Luna, and a few others. As she slid the door shut, she could have sworn she saw a white-blonde head disappear down the corridor…but that was impossible, wasn't it? Because Draco was staying at school…Wasn't he? Ginny shook her head. She was just imagining things because she had gone to bed mad at Draco and hadn't seen him at all this morning. She sat down and tried to forget about it, drifting off into her own little world as the trees flew by outside.

"Ginny, you want anything from the trolley?" Ron's voice interrupted her daydreams of what would be waiting for her at home. She waved him off and pulled a blanket from her trunk, curling up against the window and dozing off. The train began to slow down, and everyone in the compartment started getting their stuff. After some difficulty, considering how many people there were, they all managed to get their trunks out the door and off the train. They found the rest of the Weasleys on the platform and, after awhile, managed to Side-Along-Apparate everyone to the Burrow. Ginny was the last, and as she spun with Fred, leaving the platform, she saw again the white-blonde hair ducking around a corner. She would have been suspicious, but milliseconds later, she was mobbed by the Order.

The rest of the night was spent unpacking and settling in. The next few days were filled with trips to Diagon Alley, quidditch matches in the garden, and general pre-Christmas preparation. Finally, Christmas Eve arrived. They had a fairly large meal, and gathered around the fire, listening to her mother's favourite wailing singer. Harry and Ron were throwing around a quaffle in the backyard, preferring that to the painful music. Ginny was lost in her thoughts when she was jolted into reality by a loud pop in the backyard and then Ron's voice, angry.

"Bloody hell! Malfoy, what in the name of Merlin's pants are YOU doing here?!?"

**Again, please review! And thanks to sweetrubylocks for the idea and feedback!**

**- Ms. Bells Swan**


	9. Chapter 8: The Trees

**A/N: Ok, I couldn't resist writing more. Here it is. Hope you like it! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! Oh, and this chapter is dedicated to sweetrubylocks and pigsrulealot. Thanks for the great feedback and ideas! Hope I did it justice!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Wish I did but sadly enough…I don't. :(**

Chapter Eight

"Wha-WEASLEY PUT ME DOWN NOW!!!!!" Draco cried from outside. The occupants of the living room all headed to the garden.

"Uh-oh." Hermione sighed, getting up from her seat on the couch and walking outside. Ginny followed, not understanding the scene that was playing out in front of her. Draco was dangling upside down by his ankles, Ron's wand holding him in the air. Harry was steaming, Hermione was shaking her head, and Mrs. Weasley was sputtering. Fred and George were laughing, and most of the Order were surrounding the Burrow with protective charms and whatnot. Malfoy was screaming his head off, ranting and raving, but he stopped mid-sentence when he saw Ginny.

"Ginny," he murmured, his voice softer and his face more relaxed. Everyone froze and turned to her, their faces full of questions.

"Ron, put him down." Ginny requested quietly, not taking her eyes off of her hovering boyfriend. Draco was slowly set back on the ground and Ginny walked forward to him.

"Ginny, I-" he started.

"Draco, what are you doing here?" she interrupted him coolly.

"I-I…I mean…I…" he stared at her, confused and slightly hurt, looking completely un-Malfoy-ish.

"Come on. We need to talk," she took his arm and pulled him away, leaving a confused group behind. She pulled him around the garden into a clump of trees. "Draco," she started but was cut off by him grabbing her waist, pulling her into him, and kissing her fiercely on the lips. She melted into his embrace, and he pulled away slowly.

"Now. You were saying?" he smirked.

"Draco! What are you doing here? You can't just pop in whenever you feel like it! I mean, do you have any idea how many protection charms you just destroyed? You could have been a De-er, you gave my family a heart-attack!" she turned her face away, afraid he might know what she almost said. He stood frozen for a moment before stepping forward and embracing her yet again with his strong arms. She sighed and leaned her head on his chest. She had to admit, it felt good to be with him again.

"Ginny…I'm so sorry. I really am. I didn't mean to hurt you when I said I wouldn't come. I just…I didn't think I would be welcome. I mean, I didn't think your family would like having a Malfoy for Christmas. I'm so sorry!"

"Draco, it's ok. I understand. But my family would have been fine…whatever. It's over. Done," she kissed him lightly on the cheek and he sighed. They stood that way for what felt like hours, holding each other and simply reveling in the happiness. Then, something occurred to Ginny. "You know…you're still welcome to…to stay. I mean, if you want to…" she looked up at him, hardly daring to breath.

"You know," he said after a few moments. "That sounds really nice. I mean, I don't want to impose…but if you're sure…I'd love to," he smiled at her and she hugged him, excited.

"Okay! I'll go talk to Mum and Dad! Er, you might want to stay out here until I come get you…Ron's not going to like this," Ginny gave him a peck on the cheek before turning and sprinting back to the house. She ran inside to find all the occupants of the house sitting in the kitchen, whispering. She blushed and slowed down, pretending not to notice the immediate silence that followed her entrance.

"Ginny, what's going on?" Bill spoke up. She cringed. He was her favourite brother, she couldn't lie to him. So instead she pulled him out of the room along with her mother.

"Mum, I'm going to ask you something and I need you to keep an open mind about it. Please please _please_ don't judge or jump to conclusions. Please just here me out?" Her mother nodded, eyebrows furrowed. "Okay. Well, you might have heard from Ron or Harry or the twins…but it'll be better coming from my mouth. Draco Malfoy and I are…well, I guess the proper word for it would be…dating," she waited while her mother's face showed over a dozen emotions rapidly, and then continued. "And I have…invited him to…stay for Christmas." she finished.

She heard a "What?" and "NO!" and a crash from the other room. Her mother was frozen with raised eyebrows and her brother was pacing, his face full of confusion and shock.

"Ginny…you and…you and a Malfoy?" Bill sounded hurt, broken somehow.

"I know, it sounds…crazy. Ridiculous. Insane. But…its happened. You'll all get over it. I have invited Draco, my _boyfriend_ to stay for Christmas. He has no where else to go. Mum, please?" She turned her big brown eyes on her mother who took a long sip of wine before closing her eyes and nodding slowly. Ginny squealed, hugged her mother and Bill, and ran back through the crowd of people to the trees, where Draco stood waiting.

"So…did you ask?" He mumbled, not sure whether to hope or not.

"Yeah…I explained it to her and Bill." She stopped at the look of confusion he gave her. "Bill's the second oldest, the one with callused hands and a long red ponytail? Well, I explained it to him and Mum and Mum said…that you can stay!" She grinned and bounced up and down a few times before throwing her arms around his neck, pulling him down against her lips. He responded enthusiastically, lifting her up. She knew it was clichéd, but to keep herself from falling, she had to wrap her legs around his waist. She did her best to do this unnoticeably, so as not to give him the wrong idea, but as soon as she did it, he moved his hands onto her lower waist and pulled her as close to him as she could get. The kiss deepened, became more passionate, and he pressed her gently against a tree. His hands were slowly starting to slide, exploring her body, and they were so completely absorbed in the moment that they didn't notice the leaves rustling as someone came up behind them.

"Not to interrupt, but Ginny…Mum needs you to peel potatoes. And Mal-er, Draco needs to be shown to his room," Bill calmly broke in, causing them to freeze. Ginny was lowered onto the ground, Draco taking her hand sheepishly. Bill glared at him for a minute before leading them back to the house.

"Draco, I'm assuming you don't want to share with Harry and Ron. So you can have Percy's old room on the third floor. Mine's down the hall, and I'm sharing with Hermione. Fred and George will be on the fourth floor with Bill and Charlie. And Ron and Harry are on the top floor. Mum and Dad are on the second floor. I hope you don't mind having Percy's room…we normally keep it empty after all that happened with him but…it's the cleanest room in the house and its fairly large…only one bed and all..." Ginny trailed off and Draco nodded, surprised that he got a room to himself. He then mentally kicked himself. Where had all his Malfoy breeding gone? He had been raised to the highest standards! What had happened?

Ginny left him, pointing him in the direction of the stairs, and she went off to the kitchen. As soon as she entered, the doors slammed shut and she found herself surrounded by Order members.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley, explain yourself!" Remus Lupin started.

"I-er, I…what?"

"Ginny, do you realize what you've done, inviting a Malfoy into the Order's headquarters?!?" Tonks cried from across the room.

"Really Ginny, what's gotten into you?" Bill gave her a knowing look and she blushed, remembering what he had seen in the garden.

"Guys, will you all just let me explain? Draco and I have been together for months! We've spent almost the entire year together at Hogwarts, and no one keeps us apart there! And he didn't have anywhere to go. Can you imagine how quiet and lonely Malfoy Christmases must be? Besides, Harry and Hermione get to stay here! Fleur stays here sometimes! People from the Order are constantly dropping in and out! But my boyfriend can't visit for one holiday? I'm not asking you guys to put him in the Order. Just…give him a chance!" she shook her head. Every single one of them had cringed when she had referred to him as her boyfriend. She turned and walked away, going to curl up on one of the couches.

Slowly, the fuss died out and people returned to their seats. The atmosphere became a bit tense when Draco walked in and sat down next to Ginny, but the twins started a massive game of Exploding Snaps that relaxed everyone. As it got later and later, Ginny felt her eyes drooping and her head fell onto Draco's chest. She drifted off to sleep. About an hour later, under the supervision of Molly Weasley, Draco carried her into her room and laid her on her bed. He was about to leave when she stirred.

"Goodnight Draco. Happy Christmas," she murmured before limply kissing him on the cheek and drifting back to sleep. Her mother stood at the door, pursing her lips, and Draco quietly left to go to his own bed. He dozed off, wondering what a Weasley Christmas would be like.

**Hope you enjoyed it! I'm going to try to have the next chapter up soon, but the more reviews I get, the faster I write! Review please! And any ideas are both requested and welcome!**


	10. Chapter 9: The Burrow

**A/N: I had fun writing this, so I decided to go ahead and post it. Hope you enjoy! Review! And thanks for all the reviews so far!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does, and no matter how much I wish it would, this fanfic does not change that.**

Chapter Nine

"Draco! Wake up! Draco, it's Christmas morning!" Draco groaned. It felt like seconds ago that he had closed his eyes. He pulled the blankets closer to him, trying to go back to sleep. Suddenly, something hit him in the stomach. And again in the chest. And then again, hard, in the face. He groggily opened his eyes to see one bouncing redhead with a pillow standing a few feet away, giggling. He smiled, waited until she wasn't paying attention, and then whispered "Accio Ginny" under his breath as he pointed his wand at her. She shrieked when she was pulled forward, dropping the pillow. She landed on the bed with and undignified "oomph!" and he pulled her into his arms.

"Happy Christmas, love," he whispered in her ear. She pressed her lips to his for a few moments before climbing off his bed and throwing some muggle clothes at him.

"Change. I'll turn around," She commanded and he grudgingly did as asked. A few moments later, they were downstairs and in the midst of a very busy, very large breakfast. Mrs. Weasley was frantically waving her wand around, pieces of bacon were flying overhead, and people were all clawing at the food laid out on the tables. Draco and Ginny slid unnoticed into the crowd and started loading up their plates.

After breakfast, everyone crowded into the living room. The tree was nothing like Draco had ever seen before; it wasn't polished and professional, it was messy and fun. The ornaments looked homemade, and a few seemed to be charmed to show a slideshow of pictures. There was one for Charlie, one for Bill, one for a young man who Draco assumed was Percy, though this one only had a few photos and was near the back, on for the twins, one for Ron, and one for Ginny. He watched it for a few moments, smiling at the pictures of her when she was little with ruffled up pigtails and pie all over her face or the time she got into her mother's make-up and drew all over herself. He was entranced as he watched the way she was always trying to grow up and play with her brothers, but her mother constantly held her back.

After a few moments, he returned to his seat on the couch and everything settled down. It seemed that the only person who was outwardly uncomfortable with his presence was Potter, who aggravatingly sat himself on the floor at Ginny's feet. Draco gritted his teeth but didn't say anything.

"Alright! Let's open presents!" Arthur Weasley announced. He waved his wand and all the gifts flew to their various receivers. Even Draco had a few, which he was sure his parents had sent by owl, expecting him to be at Hogwarts. He quickly opened a Slytherin sweater, a journal with the Malfoy crest on it, and a new watch. He was surprised to see a small box of chocolates from Pansy, and smirked at the new quills Zabini had given him. There was also a note:

Draco,

Having fun at the Weasley's? Yes, I know your secret. I knew you would go, you love her too much not to! Don't worry, you can tell me all about it when we return back to school. See you then.

Happy Christmas,

Blaise Zabini

Draco chuckled and tucked the gifts away, turning to watch everyone else. Ginny opened up her present from Granger first: two books, of course. One on quidditch and one on music. Her brother had given her a book as well, surprisingly enough, entitled _The Art of Dating; How to Break His Heart Before He Breaks Yours_. Ginny scowled and hit Ron. Draco narrowed his eyes, relaxing again when she simply tossed the book at Hermione, who shook her head. Ginny received a box of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes from the twins, dragon-hide gloves from Charlie, a broom-cleaning kit from Bill, a Gryffindor Scarf with a broom embroidered on it from Potter, and a hand-knitted sweater with a G on it from her parents. Apparently, this was tradition, as everyone in the room had received one. Draco watched her open a Sneakoscope, a small vial of some form of perfume, and a book of beauty spells from the various unknown adults in the room. Draco recognized Lupin, the werewolf who had been the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in their third year, but other than that, they were all strangers. Ginny pulled on the sweater and settled into the cushions.

She laughed at the look of disgust on Granger's face as she opened up the book that Ginny had received from her youngest older brother. Draco smirked when Granger hit the Weasel and chastised him in a low voice.

Eventually, everyone had opened their gifts and were standing up. Ginny thanked everyone and hugged everyone, including Potter. This made Draco's lungs stop working and his heart was beating too fast, but Ginny swiftly pulled away and continued to the others in the room. The look on Potter's face as she walked away made Draco want to curse him into the next month. He was trying to find something, anything to distract him when a small, delicate hand found his.

"Happy Christmas, Draco!" Ginny chirped, pulling him outside where there was less noise and less people. The settled onto a wooden swing of some sort, and Ginny pulled a small wrapped gift out of her pocket. She shyly handed it to him. He took it, happily surprised, and opened it. It was a small gold sphere.

"A snitch?" he watched as she took one of his hands and pressed it against the snitch. It slowly unfolded in his hands, and he saw an inscription:

_Ginny X Draco_

_Happy Christmas Love._

She looked up at him with a small smile and he kissed her gently. He then dug in one of his pockets, finding the small box he had been carrying for about a week. He gave it to her, suddenly frightened of her reaction. She smiled, a bit curious, and carefully opened it. She gasped when she saw the necklace inside. It was a simple silver chain, long but not too long. The charm was of two small dragons intertwined with a heart between them. One dragon was emerald, one was ruby, and the heart was sparkling with diamonds. Tears slipped down her face and she slowly clasped it around her neck. It sat perfectly, right between her breasts. She blushed, and he looked away from the necklace and instead at her beautiful brown eyes. They were shining with tears and she was grinning from ear to ear. She slowly leaned forward and kissed him, and he felt as if his body were being filled with slowly flowing molten lava; hot but not overcome with lust. It was as perfect as ever, and when she pulled away, he felt the emptiness of his lips like a slap across the face. She thanked him softly, telling him goodnight, and walked back to the house. He followed after a few minutes.

"Malfoy, hold up. I wanna talk to you for a minute." Draco turned around warily to see the brother with the ponytail. What was his name? Bill, that was it. He waited for Bill to say something, not sure what to expect.

"Alright. I'm just gonna come right out and say it. I don't like you. For some reason, my little sister does. I don't see it. I can't seem to figure out her way of thinking. Regardless of what I, and everyone else, think, she's decided to spend all her time with you. I'm not going to judge you because of who you are or who your family is. I'm simply going to give you the same warning I gave Dean, Michael, and Harry. You hurt my little sister and you will pay. If you want to break up with her, that's none of my business. Just do it in a civilized, painless manner. If you hurt her, you'll be sorry. We clear?" Draco nodded, confused and borderline angry. Dean? Michael? _Potter?_ Just how many boyfriends had Ginny had over for the holidays? Draco wandered off, ready to sleep so that he didn't have to think about it anymore.

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~

Ginny walked up to her room, sliding through the crowd unnoticed, and entered to find Hermione waiting for her.

"So, what'd Mal-I mean what did Draco get you for Christmas?" Hermione asked, studying the beaming redhead. Ginny pulled the necklace out from under her shirt.

"He gave me this," she smiled.

"Wow. Impressive," Hermione nodded with approval. Ginny turned to the mirror and examined the necklace. She decided she liked the way it rested just above her breasts, and if she wore a v-neck it would show nicely. She settled in bed and read the book of beauty spells that Tonks had given her until she fell asleep.

"Ginny, wake up! Ginny!" Hermione jostled the sleeping girl until she finally woke up.

"What?" Ginny snapped, never a morning person.

"We're going to Diagon Alley!" Hermione was pulling on clothes and shooting spells at her hair to calm it down. Ginny tumbled out of bed and slowly decided on what to wear. She decided that it had to be a green v-neck shirt, with a black v-cut cami underneath, and jeans. She flipped through her new book and found a spell for flawless make-up and one for perfect curls. She was delighted to find that they worked, before realizing something.

"Hermione, has anyone woken Draco up?" Hermione nodded.

"We tried to get Ron or Harry to wake him up, but I was afraid they would curse him or something. So I asked Charlie to do it. He got Draco up, and they are down in the kitchen waiting on, well, us! So let's go! I can't wait to see everyone! I have gifts for Luna and Neville, and I need new quills for school!" Ginny sighed and walked downstairs. She grabbed a piece of toast and a glass of orange juice. Soon after, they were off, flooing to the Leaky Cauldron.

**Please review! Plot ideas are much appreciated!**

**- Ms. Bells Swan**


	11. Chapter 10: The Book Shop

**A/N: Ok, I have to say this chapter was hard to write. I have such a hard time keeping Draco true to character, and sometimes I get lost. This chapter was originally my hope to show Draco's meaner side, but it didn't really turn out that way…hope y'all like it, it might be the last on for the rest of the week. *gasp!* I spoil y'all too much, staying up late writing and updating. But you know how you can repay me? Review! With ideas! I have almost no ideas for a plot at this point so…yeah! Any help is welcomed!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.**

Chapter Ten

They had been in Diagon Alley for about two hours, and Draco and Ginny were looking at quills and parchment when it happened. A familiar voice came floating around the corner.

"Narcissa, please. Draco doesn't need any more quills! You've sent him dozens," Lucius Malfoy's cold voice sent shivers down Ginny's spine. Draco gasped, dropping Ginny's hand and ducking behind a shelf. Ginny stood frozen, hoping against hope that the Malfoys wouldn't see her.

"Well, well, darling, look what we have here!" Narcissa Malfoy's voice was high and nasally, and sent chills down Ginny's spine.

"Oh, look. A Weasley, how revolting. Are you lost, little blood traitor?" Ginny cringed and shied away from Lucius's cold glare. She couldn't seem to find a decent response, and Draco's father simply sneered. He was about to say more when someone stepped out from behind a shelf.

"Mother, Father, hello. I didn't expect to see you here," he greeted them, wearing his old emotionless mask.

"Draco? We thought you stayed at school for the holidays, darling!" his mother responded. His father simply narrowed his eyes.

"I was going to, but Blaise Zabini invited me to his home and I simply couldn't refuse."

"I see. So where are the Zabinis?" his father questioned. Ginny was still frozen, holding her breath.

"Well, you see, Blaise and I came alone. He is being fitted for new dress robes, and I need a book on potions."

"Aha."

"So, what have we here?" Draco feigned surprise at Ginny's presence.

"A Weasley. I believe she goes to school with you, Draco, doesn't she?" Draco narrowed his eyes, sneering.

"She does. She and the rest of her blood-traitor family. Almost as bad as that Mudblood, Granger," his cold tone nearly broke Ginny's heart as she listened to him insult her family. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she wouldn't let them fall. She couldn't.

"Shove off, Malfoy. No body needs your Death Eater influence here." She glared at the family. Draco's eyes widened infinitesimally and he turned to his parents.

"Come Mother, Father. We shouldn't associate with the likes of a Weasley," he led his parents away and Ginny slumped back against the shelf and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Ginny? You okay?" Harry timidly walked up.

"I'm guessing you saw the whole thing." She said lifelessly.

"Um, yeah…So his parents don't know?"

"Apparently not. I know he had to say those things but…that doesn't mean they don't hurt!" Now she was getting angry. Harry hesitantly put his arm around her shoulders and led her away.

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Draco watched as Potter led his girlfriend over to get ice cream, nearly shaking with anger. Why was it that whenever he did something that made him look like a jerk, Potter was always there, ready to comfort Ginny? He couldn't just leave it alone, could he? No, he had to go be all gallant, comforting and sweet. Draco was so mad he could spit. He went to join them, hoping a decent apology would work.

"Malfoy," Potter greeted him indifferently.

"Potter, Ginny. May I sit down?" Draco couldn't believe he was actually asking.

"Sure. Whatever." Ginny gestured to an empty chair. Draco took it, and they sat in silence for awhile. Ginny was glaring at her ice cream, Potter was glaring at the sky, and Draco was glaring at Potter. Suddenly, Ginny spoke up.

"Harry, would you mind giving Draco and me a minute alone? I need to talk to him," the sound of her lifeless, emotionless voice made Draco's stomach flip-flop.

"Er, sure? Um, I'll be over there…" Potter walked away.

"Ginny, I'm so sor-" Draco started, but Ginny cut him off.

"Draco, what is this? I mean, one minute we are doing fine, holding hands and kissing and just being generally happy and then the next minute you are jumping away from me and insulting my family and friends!" She crossed her arms, waiting for a response.

"I-I…I'm sorry! I didn't want to insult you, but…my parents don't know about us. They _can't_ know about us! If they found out, I'd never be allowed back at Hogwarts! I'd never see you again! Do you realize what they would think of me if they found out??? What was I supposed to do?!?"

"So you didn't tell your parents because you're afraid of what they'll_ think of you_?!?" she cried. Draco shrank back, mentally slapping himself for sounding so self-absorbed.

"No, no, that's not what I meant! I just…I can't lose you like that! I refuse to lose you because of who our families are!" He lowered his voice. "Ginny, I can't lose you. I care about you so much…I don't know what I'd do without you, Ginny. I'm so sorry," he pulled her to him gently, and she put her head on his chest.

"Draco, I feel the same way. That's why I hate that we have to keep this from your parents!" He sighed, contemplating, and then leaned down and captured her lips gently. He kissed her lightly for a few moments before pulling away and answering the question that she hadn't had the courage to ask.

"I can't tell them, Ginny. I can't," he murmured into her hair.

"Don't worry. You don't have to," Lucius Malfoy drawled from behind them, his face almost livid. Draco took an alarmed step away from Ginny, then his face turned to ice and he stepped closer to her, pulling her against him.

"Father," he greeted stonily.

"Draco, what's going on here?" Lucius gestured to Ginny, and Draco's arm tightened around her waist.

"Father, I believe you're able to figure that out on your own. You always did claim to have been top of you class," Draco sneered.

"Draco, stop fooling around. This is your way of getting back at your mother and I for asking you to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas, and it needs to stop. You are being childish, Draco. I suggest you stop it now, before it goes too far," Draco felt infuriated at his father for simply over-looking it as a childish form of revenge. He felt his blood boil and his hands tightened into fists.

"Father, I can assure you this is not some immature payback. This is real, more real than anything I've ever felt before. Father, I-I," he took a deep breath to steady himself. "I love Ginny Weasley, and there's nothing you could say or do that would change that." He heard Ginny gasp softly and felt her turn to stare at him. He pulled her head against his chest.

"Draco, come. We're going home. You will not be returning to Hogwarts tomorrow or any other day. You will be homeschooled from now on." Draco's father turned on his heel, obviously expecting his son to follow, but Draco stood rooted on the spot.

"Father, I'm not coming with you. I'm going back to the Weasley's, where I've been staying, and tomorrow, I will return, as planned, to Hogwarts. I'm seventeen, Father, which means I am an adult and may do as I wish." Draco felt like cowering away from his father's glare, but he stood his ground. His father finally turned and walked away, finding his mother and apparating back to the Manor. Ginny was still staring up at him with huge eyes, and he turned to her and flashed a smile. A real, true, smile.

"You love me?" she breathed. His breath caught in his chest. He hadn't realized it was true until he had said it, but now he knew.

"Yes. Yes I do." Draco smiled a bit unsteadily at her. She thought for a minute, and said the only thing coming to mind.

"Wow."


	12. Chapter 11: The Library

**A/N: Wow. Fun chapter to write, but also kinda uneventful. You get more Ginny/Draco action going on, along with a jealous Harry. Hmm…I have a few ideas that I'm working on developing, involving a letter from Tonks and a threat from Snape, if it turns out the way I'm planning at the moment. So we'll see what happens. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of this.**

Chapter Eleven

The train ride back to Hogwarts was strange. It started out typically frantic, everyone pushing and shoving to find a compartment. Draco disappeared for awhile, catching up with his friends from Slytherin, then rejoined the others in the compartment they were sharing with Neville and Luna. Though it was a bit crowded, Draco squeezed in and sat Ginny on his lap in the corner. Neville openly gaped for a moment, blushing and staring at his hands when he realized his jaw had dropped, and Luna mumbled something about Garknocks causing hallucinations, but no one outright asked why Draco was there. Ginny was very proud of them.

She eventually pulled a blanket over herself, and Draco adjusted it so that they were both covered and warm. Ron took this moment to decide he wanted to give someone else a chance by the window and forced Harry to switch with him, putting himself right next to them. Ginny rolled her eyes but simply turned away from her overprotective brother and leaned into her boyfriend. Draco wrapped his arms around her and she basked in the feeling of his firm muscles holding her. Eventually she felt his breathing even out and realized he had fallen asleep. She inconspicuously stroked his arm, tracing the wiry muscles that ran up and down his forearms. She looked around and realized that Harry had fallen asleep against the window, Luna had her head on Neville's shoulder, and Hermione's head was in Ron's lap. She was the only one awake. Or so she thought.

"That feels good," Draco breathed in her ear, startling her.

"So you're awake, are you?" she whispered back.

"Barely. It's hard to drift off into a peaceful sleep while holding the most beautiful woman I've ever known in my lap. I'm too…distracted to sleep," his voice was husky, and she felt chills running up and down her back.

"I just bet you are," she replied, raising an eyebrow. He chuckled.

"You have no idea," he murmured. Slowly, he moved one of his hands to cup her cheek, pulling her lips to his. She gently wrapped her arms around his neck and they kissed, soft and sweet. Ginny smiled against his lips, for once feeling entirely happy, and rested her head on his shoulder. She slowly dozed off, realizing for the first time how exhausted she was. Her last thought before the world went dark was that she was glad she had finally found some alone time with Draco, with no one watching or judging.

Or so she thought.

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Harry was happy, sitting between Ginny and Hermione. For once, Malfoy wasn't anywhere nearby, and they were all laughing and having fun like they used to. Luna shared her stories of hunting for weird magical creatures with her father, Neville entertained them all with imitations of his grandmother's conversation with the Minister of Magic, and the Weasleys had a good laugh over the traditionally ridiculous sweaters they had been given. Harry was laughing and having a good time, glad for some time with Ginny without her obnoxious boyfriend. He knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't help envisioning Malfoy hurting her so badly that all she could do was throw herself at Harry. Somehow, though, Harry didn't see that happening. Ginny was a strong, stubborn, willful girl; it would take a lot to hurt her that much. Harry immediately felt bad for wishing something that terrible on her.

Suddenly, the compartment door opened. There stood none other than the blonde-haired demon himself. Ginny smiled and stood up, hugging him. Then, to Harry's horror, Draco sat in the seat Ginny had been in and pulled her on his lap. She giggled. Harry couldn't believe his luck; he was stuck sitting next to Malfoy, with Ginny on Malfoy's lap. He sighed and tried to focus on the dwindling conversation. A bit later, Ginny pulled out a blanket and wrapped herself and Malfoy in it. Harry felt himself grow nauseous, trying his best not to glare, and gladly complying to Ron's request to switch seats. Harry leaned his head against the cold window pane and closed his eyes, attempting to get some sleep. Sleep seemed impossible though, and so instead he tried to concentrate on thoughts of getting back to Hogwarts. Suddenly, he heard a voice whisper into the silence,

"That feels good."

"So you're awake?" Harry heard Ginny respond softly.

"I'm too…distracted to sleep," Malfoy replied, and Harry's face tensed as he immediately understood the meaning in the Death Eater's response. The blood was pounding in Harry's ears, and he ever so slowly opened his eyes, peering through his dark lashes at the two. He suddenly wished he could hex the blonde as he watched them kiss ever so tenderly. Harry slammed his eyes shut again and tried, unsuccessfully, to fall into unconsciousness.

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A few days later, back at Hogwarts, Draco was having an argument with himself. He couldn't decide what to do. He didn't want to ruin his relationship with Ginny, but he wasn't sure how much longer he could be a gentleman. She was so…arousing! He groaned, wondering how much longer he could stand it. She was so hesitant, it was killing him! Only soft, tender kisses, never open-mouthed. Nothing more than soft little pecks. Sure, it was romantic, but Draco wasn't sure how long he would last if it went on like that. He could just imagine her tight little body pressed up against his, his hands on her butt and her tongue in his mouth. He suddenly recognized the odd, uncomfortable pressure in his pants, and he cursed. She was so infuriatingly cautious, it was killing him. What would the Slytherins say when they found out that he, Draco Malfoy, Slytherin Sex God, had gone home with his girlfriend for Christmas and not even done any decent making out? He'd be declared whipped, for sure. Draco punched the wall, mad and impatient. He knew which side had won the argument. Now the only question was, what was he going to do about it?

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On the first day back to classes, Ginny met Draco in the library while everyone else was at breakfast. She rounded the corner, heading toward their normal table, only to find herself being pushed against the bookshelf. She felt Draco's mouth hot against hers, and his hands sliding down her back. He opened his mouth, running his tongue along her bottom lip, and she slowly allowed him access. His tongue explored her mouth, his hands still making their way down her back, coming to a stop on her butt. She squirmed, a little uncomfortable with the turn the kiss had taken. Then she felt Draco messing with the hem of her shirt, his hand ever so slowly working its way underneath her the thin fabric, and she froze, stiff as a statue, until he moved away, looking at her with a bewildered expression.

"Draco Malfoy, what the hell do you think you're doing?" She glared at him and he looked even more confused.

"Er, I _thought_ I was making out with my girlfriend," he responded. Her eyes narrowed.

"Draco, I thought we talked about this. I don't like jumping into a relationship too quickly. And I don't want to be one of those girls, you know?" he sighed.

"What girls, Ginny?" he sounded exasperated.

"The girls that you pretend to like only to get in their pants. I'm not an idiot, Draco. I know you're called the Slytherin Sex God. I don't want to be another notch in your bedpost!" She crossed her arms. Draco stood there for a minute, shocked.

"Ginny, is that what you think of me? You think I'd go through all this crap we've been getting just to put another 'notch in my bedpost' as you put it?!?" Ginny cringed at the furious look on his face and he softened his voice, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. "Ginny, I love you. I would never do that to you."

"And how do I know I can trust you on that?" she asked quietly, avoiding his eyes.

"You can trust me, Ginny. I wouldn't ever hurt you."

"Prove it." she challenged, turning on her heel and walking off, leaving a frozen, confused Draco behind.

**Ok, Review please! Tell me what you think. Tell me anything you wanna see happen, and I'll see if I can fit it in…if I like it :P. Ok…well, review and keep an eye out for the next chapter. Btw, in a word document, this fanfic as a whole is 39 pages so far, at Arial font size 11! :) Nice long story, huh? Lol ok, guess not but it's still awesome. Well, goodnight!**

**- Ms. Bells Swan**


	13. Chapter 12: The Trip to Hosmeade

**A/N: For some reason, I had a hard time deciding what to do with this chapter. So if it seems conflicted or torn, sorry! I'm working on the plot development, so if you have any ideas, any at all, I would love to hear them! Enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or its characters.**

Chapter Twelve: The Trip to Hogsmeade

The weeks went by and Draco got more and more irritating. He became protective to the point of being possessive. He held Ginny's hand almost every moment he got. When he wasn't holding her hand, he draped his arm across her shoulders or wrapped it around her waist, tucking his thumb in her back pocket. Ginny found herself staying in the common room more than she used to, only going out alone late at night or early in the morning. She would sneak off without telling anyone where she was going, and she found new places to hide and relax. Ginny couldn't understand why he was getting like that, and she didn't like it. But the thought of breaking up with him punched holes through her heart. She couldn't wait until the Hogsmeade trip that was fast approaching, hoping for some quality alone time with Draco.

"Ginny, there you are," Draco called, sounding partly relieved and partly angry.

"Mmhm…" she replied, distractedly.

"Listen, Ginny, about Hogsmeade…" he started. "Well, are you set on going? Because I think we could have more fun if we just stayed here, you know?"

"You…don't want to go to Hogsmeade? At all? Even for just a few minutes?"

"Well, it's not that I don't want to go at all, but I was thinking maybe we could hang out here while everyone else is gone. You know, enjoy the emptiness,"

"Draco Malfoy, I can't believe this! I've been looking forward to going to Hogsmeade for WEEKS! And now you're…you're canceling on me?!?" she turned to look at him, eyebrows raised.

"No! I'm not canceling so much as…asking you to change the location. Hogsmeade just doesn't interest me that much and…well, I'd honestly rather stay here…plus, I hear the weather is going to be ghastly," he added meekly.

"Fine! If you don't want to go with me, that's…that's fine. But I'm going. I refuse to let you ruin my trip. I'll go with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. You stay here. Enjoy the silence." Ginny turned on her heel and stalked away, furious that he would try to ruin that for her too. She would go, she decided, and have as much fun as she possibly could.

The rest of the week was spent much the same way as the beginning had been, with Ginny avoiding Draco much more than she would have liked, only this time she had a reason. Every time Draco got a minute alone with her, he was begging her not to go to Hogsmeade. She couldn't figure out what game he was playing.

On the morning of the Hogsmeade trip, Ginny and Hermione met Harry and Ron in the common room bright and early, ready to go. Harry seemed like he was in a substantially better mood than normal, and even Ron had a smile on his face. They headed off, and Ginny refused to think about her boyfriend. They visited shops, talked with friends, and bought a substantial amount of sugar. They were on their way to The Three Broomsticks for butterbeers when disaster struck. From across the street, there was a loud explosive noise, rather like that of many people apparating all at once.

Ginny heard the screams, but didn't comprehend what was happening. People were running everywhere, curses were being shot off, and Rosmerta's pub caught on fire. Ginny gasped as the hooded black figures revealed themselves, running around and shooting off hexes. She snapped into action, pulling her wand out and joining in the fight, but then one of the Death Eaters grabbed her and thrust her into a dark, deserted alley. She stood paralyzed as the formidable witch or wizard drew closer. Everything seemed to be playing in slow-motion. Ever so slowly, the hooded figure reached up and drew back the black hood, slowly revealing pale white skin, silver eyes that were hardened into steel, and white-blonde hair. He stared at her morosely, with a worried expression clouding his eyes.

Draco stepped up to Ginny, crushing his lips to hers solidly and frantically, before moving his lips to her ear and whispering one word that sent her flying around the corner and out of sight.

"Run."

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Draco watched Ginny shoot off, away from Hogsmeade, and wished desperately that he could go with her, making sure she was safe. But he couldn't. He had devoted himself and his life to the Dark Lord and he had orders. He turned back to the town, casting harmless spells around, not really aiming. He sighed, knowing that he couldn't continue to skate along like this. Either he betrayed the Dark Lord and his family, hiding for the rest of his life and turning to the Order for help, or he stayed with the Dark Lord, constantly being forced to attack innocent people, including his girlfriend and her family. What a conundrum. He sighed and saw his team motioning that it was time to go. He apparated along with the rest of them, changed out of his robes, and returned to Hogwarts to find his predictably furious girlfriend.

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~

Ginny ran all the way to the castle, not looking back, until she found herself in the library. She collapsed, crawling into a corner in the back, and curled up into a ball. She sobbed, rocking back and forth, for what felt like days. Suddenly, someone touched her arm hesitantly, and she yelped, jumping. She looked up into the horrified face of Draco Malfoy, now in school clothes, and the sight of him started her sobs all over again.

"Shh, Ginny, shhh. It's ok, it's all going to be ok," he murmured soothingly, crouching down and pulling her to him. They sat there for an indefinite amount of time, him chanting and smoothing back her hair. She cried and cried, soaking his shirt, and with every tear, his heart broke a little bit more. She eventually ran out of tears, and still they sat there, rocking back and forth, holding each other for their sanity. At one point, she pulled away and looked at him, her eyes puffy and red, with streaks running down her face.

"Draco…" she trailed off, not able to say anything. He looked her in the eyes, seeing everything she was feeling reflected in her deep brown eyes.

"I know, love, I know," he whispered.

After the Death Eaters attacked, everything changed. Security became tighter and more intense, rules were created that had never been needed before, and there was a general atmosphere of tension and fear at Hogwarts. People forgot about such trivial things as who was dating who and what was the latest gossip from Witch Weekly, focusing on more depressing and desolate articles such as those reporting deaths in the Daily Prophet.

Ginny and Draco spent more time together than anyone would have thought they would, but they never talked about the one thing that Ginny needed to talk about. They never spoke of the Hogsmeade trip gone wrong. Often times, Ginny would try to bring it up, but would chicken out at the thought of his reaction. One day, as they were sitting under a tree in the gardens, she decided that it had been much too long of a time, and that she had to ask him while she still could.

"Draco, I need to talk to you about something," she started decisively. He tensed, glancing at her, and nodded. She took a deep breath before continuing. "The Hogsmeade trip."

"Ah. That."

"Yes, that. Draco, you appear out of nowhere, dressed like a Death Eater, then you pull me out of the way, scaring me to death, reveal yourself, kiss me, and tell me to run!" she hissed.

"Ginny, I was there. I don't need a play-by-play." His eyes were steel, his voice icy.

"Draco, you found me curled up in the corner, crying my eyes out! You honestly think you can just ignore this and go on with life?!?"

"Fine! What do you want me to say, Ginny? I'm a Death Eater! I've been branded with the Dark Mark! I'm a follower of the Dark Lord! Ok? Happy?" he snarled. She stared at him, eyes wide with shock, and he sighed. "Ginny, I'm not proud of the things I've done. I don't enjoy terrorizing people as much as you might think. But I can't defy the Dark Lord. If I did, I would be killed. I could be killed just for telling you this!" He slumped over, head in his hands.

"Draco, I'm not asking you to defy Voldemort," she started, and he cringed at the name. She slipped her hand in his. "I just don't want to be kept in the dark. I don't want you to get in trouble or anything but…I can't just ignore this. I've been blissfully ignorant for a long time, but now I know. And I have to face this." She was putting on a brave face for him, but in reality, everything inside her was crumbling to pieces. There was one thought in her mind, screaming at her, making her face it.

_Everything's falling apart! What am I going to do?!?_

**I recently reread this from Chapter One, and realized how many mistakes there are. I would like to apologize for my terrible editing, as well as my computer's irritating AutoCorrect. Sorry! Anyways, please review!!! Hope you enjoyed it!**

**- Ms. Bells Swan**


	14. Chapter 13: The Letters

**A/N: Ok, this chapter is kinda sad…but seriously. Some of you should have seen it coming, seriously. And you should be able to figure out what's coming next.**

**Thanks for all the reviews! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Or the characters.**

Chapter Thirteen

"Harry, come on. Come down to dinner!" Hermione pleaded. Harry shook his head, too lost in thought to come up with a verbal response. She sighed and gave up, walking away, and Harry got back to his plotting. The attack on Hogsmeade had reminded him of something.

_Malfoy's a Death Eater. So is his entire family. Ginny's an Order member. So is her entire family. There is no way that their families would be okay with them dating if it meant that a disadvantage to their side. Malfoy would be pulled out of Hogwarts! Ginny too! They wouldn't be able to see each other then!_

Harry smiled slyly and reached for some parchment paper and a quill. He set about his task happily, humming to himself. People passing thought he had finally snapped, being so happy to do homework, but he didn't care. It wasn't homework; this was much more important.

_Dear Mrs. Weasley,_

_It has come to my attention that our beloved Ginny has been spending too much time with Draco Malfoy. He is a terrible influence on her, and I wish to warn you that I believe he is using her for sex, as well as a way to get information about the Order. I hope I am not overstepping my boundaries, but I only wish the best for Ginny. As it were, I would also like to as her to the Valentine's Day Ball, but I cannot because of the slimy snake she is seeing. If you would convince her to go with me, I would be forever grateful. I hope this letter has helped you to realise what a situation you only daughter has gotten herself into. Give my best to the whole family._

_Sincerely,_

_H. Potter_

He had Hedwig deliver this one, while he borrowed one of the school's owls to send another one.

_Lucius,_

_It has come to my attention that Draco is dating the daughter of Arthur and Molly Weasley, two Order members, and I believe that she is simply using him to get information about the Dark Lord. If you will not take preventive action, I will._

_S. Snape_

Harry watched the two owls fly off, hoping that the respective parents would do what he expected them to do.

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The next morning at breakfast, Ginny Weasley received two letters. The first was from Tonks, delivered by a tawny owl, and printed on parchment with the color-change ink that Tonks thought was so brilliant. She opened it curiously.

_Ginny,_

_I was thinking about you today and decided it was time I gave you some advice. This thing you've got going with Draco needs to stop. Using him to get information for the Order is not necessary. We have all the information we need, and putting yourself at risk is not a good idea. You should terminate the relationship immediately._

_I hope you take my advice seriously, and follow it to the letter. I can't wait to see you again, Ginevra dear, and wish you and your brother all the best._

_Yours_

_N. T._

Ginny crumpled the letter up in her fist, furious and hurt. Tonks really thought so little of her that she assumed Ginny was using Draco? Ginny stuffed the letter in her pocket and looked across the Great Hall, locating her boyfriend's white blonde head. He was reading a letter he seemed to have just received, his expression going from irritated to confused to outraged in a matter of seconds. He threw the letter down on the table and stabbed his eggs violently, then looked up and met her eyes. His expression went from anger to hurt, and he looked away. She couldn't imagine what was going through his mind but before she had time to wonder, she saw Errol flying toward her. He dropped a letter in her lap and flew away, and she stared at the letter in fear. She grabbed it and raced from the Great Hall as fast as she could, finding an empty classroom and locking the door behind her. She just managed to close the door when the Howler erupted.

"GINEVRA MOLLY WEASLEY! HOW DARE YOU??? HOW _DARE _YOU DO THIS TO YOUR FAMILY?!?" her mother's shrill voice screeched. "I THOUGHT I ALWAYS TAUGHT YOU THAT SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE IS WRONG??? I THOUGHT I INSTILLED SOME MORALS IN YOU!!! IF YOU THINK THAT YOU ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE THAT-THAT-THAT DEATH EATER, THEN YOU ARE SADLY MISTAKEN!!! YOU WILL BREAK UP WITH HIM IMMEDIATELY!" the Howler burst into flames, uttering one last statement, more of a side note, as if Mrs. Weasley were talking to herself as opposed to writing a Howler.. "Thank God Harry owled me and informed me of her behavior, I don't know what I'd do without him around. I suppose I have Ron, but he's useless at this sort of thing…" the Howler was nothing more than a pile of ash, and she quickly swept it into the waste-paper basket.

_So Harry told Mum I slept with Draco, trying to break us up. I'm going to kill him!_ she thought to herself, storming out of the classroom.

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Draco Malfoy was exhausted as he entered the Great Hall for breakfast. He sat down and sleepily scooped some eggs onto his plate. He was only half-awake, and barely noticed anything going on around him. And then an owl was pecking at his wrist, a letter tied to it's leg. He grabbed the letter and shooed it.

Draco,

It has been drawn to my attention that Ginevra Weasley is an Order member. She is one of the people who are trying to bring down the Dark Lord. As his faithful servants, your mother and I cannot allow you to continue seeing her. If you continue to ignore your pureblood heritage as you currently are I will be forced to mention this little fact to the Dark Lord, and he will decide how to properly punish you. It is your choice, son. You can break up with her and come back into the Dark Lord's embrace, or you can continue seeing her and suffer. Choose wisely.

Sincerely,

Lucius Malfoy

Draco slammed his fist down on the table. His father was so…infuriating! He looked up at Ginny, and he felt his heart constrict. She was looking directly at him. How could he ever break up with her? Even if to keep from being killed? Suddenly, Ginny jumped up and ran out of the Great Hall, dropping a piece of paper behind her. Draco followed her out, stopping to grab the parchment she had dropped. He couldn't figure out where she would have gone, and so he sat down on the staircase. He couldn't help the curiosity that compelled him to read the letter she had dropped.

After reading it through twice, Draco was still confused and worried. He could read the words individually, but in a sentence they didn't make sense. Ginny was…using him for information? She was going to…terminate…the relationship? And who was this N.T. who knew her so well? An Order member, probably. Now that he understood, he was furious. Actually, he was heart-broken. Their whole relationship had been fake; a falsehood necessary to obtain information. He took a deep breath and sealed his heart and all feelings other than anger and determination in a box. He would deal with them later. He had a red-headed weasel to find. Setting his jaw, he took off.

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Ginny was off to find Harry, unaware that Draco was looking for her. She checked everywhere she thought he might be, but was unsuccessful. She was in one of the stairways when Draco stormed up to her.

"Draco," she smiled, then dropped the smile when she saw the look on his face.

"Save it, Weaselette!" he snarled. She gasped and stepped back involuntarily.

"Draco, what-?"

"You dropped this when you ran out of the Great Hall this morning. Thought I'd bring it back. Advice like this doesn't come around every bloody day, you know," he threw a piece of parchment at her, with color-change ink written on it, and she felt her throat close up. Draco had read the letter Tonks sent her!

"Draco, it's not what it sounds like! Really, it's not!" she begged him to believe her, but he shrugged her off.

"I knew I couldn't trust a blood traitor like you! Don't worry. I'll save you the trouble of 'terminating the relationship", then. We're through. Over. Done!" he growled, turning and marching away. He stopped a few feet, turned around, and called back to her. "I won't be needing this anymore." He tossed something small and shiny to her, and she caught it unseeingly. The tears spilled over then, as she looked down at the golden snitch in her hands. She sat down on the stairs and let the tears flow until they dried up. Then she simply sat, staring at the floor in front of her.

**Ok, hope you liked it. Review! Please? And if you have any ideas for the plot, feel free to send them to me!**

**Remember, a happy author writes faster…and reviews make me happier! :P**

**- Ms. Bells Swan**


	15. Chapter 14: The Manor

**A/N: I received a LOT of reviews from less than happy readers. All of them chastising me for breaking Ginny and Draco up. All I have to say is, keep reading. It will get better. But it was just something I felt had to happen before I could continue with the story. So, here's the nest chapter. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

Chapter Fourteen

The next few weeks were infuriatingly slow. Draco couldn't stop his thoughts from straying to Ginny, but he hid behind his emotion-less mask and locked his emotions away. The only person who saw through his act was his roommate, Blaise.

"Draco, mate, what's up? You look like you're in pain. Like, all the time," Blaise would say as they were doing their homework each night. And every night Draco would shrug non-committally. One night, Draco couldn't take it anymore. He had spent all day watching Ginny go to and from classes with the Idiot Trio, his heart breaking as her red ponytail swung back and forth in time with her hips. He watched Potter help her with her homework, accompany her to lunch, and make her laugh. His hands clenched into fists as her adorable giggle drifted across the Great Hall. He stood up and stormed out, heading to the common room.

"Drakkie-kins!" Draco flinched as Pansy squealed, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Pansy, please get off me," he requested, his voice low and emotionless. She giggled.

"Oh, Drakkie-kins! You're so funny!" she said, then attempted a depressed, morose look. "Drakkie, I felt soooo lonely when you had that momentary lapse in judgment, dumping me for that blood traitor." She pouted for a moment and then beamed at him. "But now you're single again and we can pick back up where we left off!" Draco sighed and shrugged out of her grip.

"Pansy, leave me alone." He walked away and heard her call to him.

"See? Just like old times!" He couldn't believe she was that clueless. Upon entering his room, he saw Blaise.

"Draco, mate, you look awful." Blaise recited. Draco turned on him.

"Of course I look awful, you prick! You would too if you had just found out the love of your life was using you for information!" He cried. Blaise flinched, then stared at him.

"Is that what happened, then? You broke up because she was using you for information?" Blaise grinned triumphantly, and Draco mentally cursed himself for sharing this bit of information.

"Does it matter? It wasn't real, none of it was."

"What are you talking about? That was the most real relationship you've ever had! All those chicks you hooked up with before, they weren't real the way she was!" Blaise looked irritated, and Draco shook his head. He knew his roommate was just trying to help him, but it was having the opposite effect.

"It was only real to me. Not to her. She was using me. She didn't love me," Draco's voice was emotionless, as he set his books down and lied down on the bed. He closed his eyes and finally let himself feel all the emotions that he had been suppressing. He let memories play behind his eyelids, remembering all the time they had spent together.

"Draco, mate, maybe it was just a misunderstanding?" Blaise sounded foolishly hopeful, and Draco's silent heaven was shattered. He turned his iciest glare on the raven-haired boy.

"Stop. Just shut up. Nothing you say is going to make a difference, so stop trying!" he growled. Blaise, maddeningly enough, simply shrugged and turned back to his books. Draco got back up and stormed out, stalking around the castle just to get off some of his energy.

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Ginny was curled up on one of the couches in the common room, with Hermione on one side of her and Ron on the other.

"I can't believe he didn't ask me about it first. He just…broke up with me." She thought to herself, unaware she was speaking out loud until Ron replied.

"He's an unbelievable git who gets joy out of hurting others. He probably led you on this whole time, waiting for the perfect moment to break your heart." Ron replied, a fierce protectiveness in his voice. Ginny glared at him sharply. All in all, her brother had been pretty good through the whole thing, not hexing the blonde boy at all.

"Don't say that! He wasn't stringing me along. He was really hurt when he thought I was just using him for information!"

"Ginny, I know you may have felt that way but…honestly, how could you know?" Hermione spoke up tentatively. Ginny shook her head.

"I just…know. I can feel it." She was about to continue when Harry walked in, and she shut up.

"Ginny, you want to take a walk or something?" Harry asked. She nodded absentmindedly, not noticing Hermione shaking her head or Ron grinning triumphantly. Harry seemed nervous, messing with his hair and fiddling with his glasses, but she was oblivious. She was too busy thinking about Draco. He had been really hurt! But he wouldn't let her explain. _It's his own fault_, she thought, getting angry rather than upset. Suddenly, in the middle of the stairway, Harry stopped.

"Ginny, I'm sorry about everything. I'm sorry Malfoy hurt you so badly. He's an arse to let you go. And idiot if he didn't realize how great you are." She looked up at him tiredly, not wanting to think about it. Harry continued. "And, if it's too soon, I understand. But…Ginny, I really, really like you, and I was wondering if you would, er, go out with me." He finished quickly. She pondered this for a moment, mulling it over in her head. She didn't really have feelings for Harry, but he was strong and dependable. Maybe that was what she needed to help her recover.

"Sure, Harry. I'll go out with you." She answered only slightly less indifferently than she felt. He beamed, hugged her, and they continued down to the kitchen.

One month flew by. The another. And then a third, and Ginny was going to Hogsmeade with Harry. Everyone thought it was so adorable, Harry Potter and his best mate's little sister. They started imagining the two of them growing up and getting married, having tons of red-headed children with Harry's green eyes. Ginny, personally, wasn't counting on that. She didn't like to think about the future, and all the uncertainty that came with it. Instead she focused on one day at a time. And today, she was going to Hogsmeade with Harry.

She met him on the front steps, and he habitually kissed her cheek and took her hand. They started walking, and she thought about the kisses she had experienced in her life. There were short kisses, like the ones she had shared with boys in her year. There were long kisses, like Dean's and Michael's. There were comfortable kisses, like the ones Harry gave her. And there were passionate ones, like Draco's. Those were the ones that had your heart pounding, you skin hot, and your eyes closed. They were the ones that were only ended by the irritating need for oxygen. She found herself wondering if she'd ever experience that type of kiss ever again. Probably not. After all, that had been all Draco. Never anyone else.

"Ginny?" Harry interrupted her thoughts.

"Hmm?" she replied.

"Do you want to grab a butterbeer?" he asked. She nodded, not really caring. Harry smiled, squeezing her hand. "Alright, well, I need to run into Fred and George's for a moment, and then we'll go." He started to lead her in, but she stopped.

"I'll just stay here and wait for you, if that's alright," she said, and the look on her face had him shrugging and going inside without complaint or question. It wasn't that she didn't want to go inside; it was a fascinating shop, and not nearly as cold, but she was sort of…avoiding her brothers. They knew she was dating Harry, and had sent her a congratulatory letter, but they were sure to ask what had happened between her and Draco. And that was one conversation she didn't want to have.

She stood in the cold, shivering slightly, lost in her own thoughts. She didn't even notice that someone had come up behind her until they had put a Full Body-Bind cure on her. She couldn't even move her mouth enough to scream for help. A bag was pulled over her head. She was picked up, and then she felt like she was being squished through a tiny hole. She heard the familiar _pop_ and realized she had been apparated somewhere. She heard footsteps going down a staircase, and then she was dropped on a cold stone floor. The bag was removed and she looked up into grey eyes and pale white skin. White-blonde hair flashed in front of her, and she felt her heart sink. She knew where she was.

"Welcome to Malfoy Manor, Ginevra Weasley!" Lucius Malfoy sneered. She would have retorted, or fought back, but the curse still kept her from moving. She tried to put as much hate as she could into her eyes. "Oh, don't be mad at me, love. You can't blame me for kidnapping you. The girlfriend of Harry Potter. The seductress of my very own son! What a hot commodity you are! Yes, the Dark Lord asked for you specifically!" Ginny shivered, fear slinking its way through her body. Lucius laughed maliciously, making his way to the top of the stairs before releasing her from her bind. She stretched a bit before looking around. The dungeon was empty, other than her. She sat down, wishing she had her wand, and listening. She heard people apparating, and knew that the Death Eaters were showing up. She wondered how long they would keep her down here, and what they would do to her when they finally brought her out.

She sat and sat, sleeping and eating when she wanted to. She wasn't sure how many days she spent there before the day she woke up to hear someone coming down the stairs. Whoever it was had a lamp, and the light slowly worked its way towards her. She acted like she was asleep, listening intently. The words that broke the silence had her shoot up, gasping.

"Well, well, well. Look who finally got punished for all her evil acts," the sneer came from a few feet in front of her, and she felt her eyes widen as she stared up at the white-blonde hair that was too familiar to be mistaken.

"Draco!" she whispered, her voice breaking. His expression softened, his steel eyes becoming more like liquid silver, and he walked closer.

"This is quite a situation you've gotten yourself in, Ginevra," he murmured. She felt her heart come back to life, thudding rapidly as he sat down next to her.

"Draco, you have to know that I never meant to hurt you! I never used you for information!" She hissed, and he shook his head sadly.

"But of course you would say that, as I am your only means of escape at the moment," he informed her. She narrowed her eyes.

"Draco, you know very well that I have not once asked you for information!" She couldn't seem to take her eyes off his beautiful face. He shrugged.

"What does it matter now? It's over. It never meant anything to you, anyways."

"Just because you've forgotten all the memories, just because you've moved on already, doesn't mean everyone else has!" she cried out in a whisper, her eyes welling up with tears. He turned his sharp gaze to her, and her breath caught in her lungs as he put his face mere inches away from hers.

"You think I've forgotten, moved on? You don't know what you're talking about! I haven't forgotten. I remember every glance, every touch, every moment I ever spent with you. So don't you tell me I've forgotten! Don't you dare accuse me of forgetting!" he snarled. She stared into his eyes for a moment, and he saw she didn't believe him. "You want more proof?" he breathed, and his hot breath against her lips sent shiver down her back. She held his eyes with hers.

Smoothly, he leaned in and closed the space between their lips. She kissed back fiercely, putting all the emotion she had let build up in her into it. Suddenly, he pulled back, panting.

"So tell me, Ms. Weasley. Do Potter's kisses set you on fire like mine do? Does the feeling of his breath on your neck give you shivers like mine does? How can you possibly accuse me of forgetting, accuse me of moving on, when I can still make you feel like this?" His voice was soft, his eyes smoldering, and he looked less icy and hateful than when he walked in.

She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and reclaiming his mouth with hers.

**I would just like to inform you all that DRACO AND GINNY ARE NOT BACK TOGETHER. I don't want to hear about how I got them back together too quickly. Although, it has been 3 months…but still! THEY ARE NOT BACK TOGETHER YET! Ginny is still dating Harry. Okay? Everyone got it? Ok. Good. Please review! And any ideas are always welcome!**

**- Ms. Bells Swan**


	16. Chapter 15: The Dungeons

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! Enjoy this chapter. It sounds really great when paired with Idina Menzel's Perfume and Promises. Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, I wouldn't be posting fanfics!**

Chapter Fifteen

Draco visited Ginny every night, waiting for the guards to fall into their usual drunken stupor and then sneaking by them. He and Ginny spent the hours of darkness in each others arms, making up for the lost time. They would kiss, talk, kiss, and then talk some more, until Ginny fell asleep or Draco heard people stirring upstairs. He would kiss her goodnight, whispering the promise of returning the next night. That's why, two weeks later, she started to panic when he didn't show up. She paced, contemplating breaking out, then just paced and tried not to think. She was in the middle of pacing when the house elf popped in.

The elf squeaked as Ginny spun around, then it held out it's hand. In it's hand was a letter. Ginny took it, wondering what could be going on.

_Weaselette,_

_Dark Lord in Manor. Can't escape. Prepare for hell._

_- Ferret_

Draco's handwriting was hurried and messy, and she got the sense he had written it without looking. Her blood froze and she found herself unable to move. Voldemort was…in Malfoy Manor. Hell was coming to find her.

She yelped as the paper burst into green flames and disintegrated, and she slumped to the floor. All she could do now was wait.

All too soon the door at the top of the stairs opened. A masked Death Eater walked towards her menacingly and pulled her up. He then forced her up the stairs into a dark room filled with flowing black robes and Death Eater masks. She was thrust forward, onto her knees, but she stood up with her back straight, head held high. She refused to let them see the effect they had on her.

"Ginny Weasley. So nice to finally meet the little witch who stole dear Potter's heart," a high nasally voice cackled. She froze as her brown eyes met the red snake-like slits of Voldemort.

"And so nice to see you again, Tom," she replied snarkily, not looking away. He glared at her.

"I haven't been Tom Riddle in quite some time, as you very well know. There is something bothering me. How could you, an insignificant _girl_ come to mean so much to Potter? Or is it simply that he can't get anyone other than you to go out with him?" Voldemort chuckled darkly.

"So, you've finally gotten over all that 'taking over the Wizarding World' rubbish and decided to answer your true calling and start a wizard dating service?" Ginny feigned delight, as if she had suspected all along that taking over the world was a job for far more powerful wizards.

"Ah, what fond memories I have of my childhood, being immature as you are now," he quipped. She put her hand on her hip.

"Alright then, Riddle. Care to tell me what this is all about?" she raised an eyebrow and he smiled maliciously.

"Why, Draco Malfoy, of course!" he practically squealed. Ginny's heart froze.

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It had been two weeks since Ginny had disappeared in Hogsmeade, and Harry was beyond panicking. He couldn't focus in class, he was prone to outbursts about nothing, he hardly ate anything, and Ron and Hermione couldn't even think about Ginny without ducking for cover. Unfortunately, Draco Malfoy had disappeared the same day, and Harry had put two and two together immediately.

"If Malfoy hurts her, I'm going to kill him! Actually, worse. I'm going to Sectum Sempra his bloody arse into next week, then I'm going to slowly hex bits off his body until he's nothing but a pile of bones! I'm going to-" Harry ranted, but was suddenly cut off by Ron.

"Oh, will you SHUT THE RUDDY F*** UP?!? We all know you're angry, Harry! No need to outline your plan to murder Malfoy! No need to tell us he's dead. WE KNOW that you are going to murder him! But you know what, Harry? YOU AREN'T THE ONLY ONE WHO CARES ABOUT GINNY!!! She's MY LITTLE SISTER! I'm JUST as worried as you are!" Ron roared, the veins in his neck pulsing.

"She's my girlfriend! I'm just saying, if he's behind this then I'll-" Harry started.

"WE KNOW! But did it ever cross your mind that maybe _I_ would like to be the one to hex his balls off?!?" Ron fumed. Harry proceeded to argue that it was his privilege, not Ron's, and Ron retaliated.

"Blimey," Parvati murmured, sitting next to Hermione on the couch.

"What are they off about this time?" Lavender questioned, sitting on Hermione's other side.

"They're fighting over Malfoy," Hermione responded, uninterestedly, without looking up from her book.

"So nothing new, then," Parvati commented, and Lavender sighed.

"When will those two just get over it and move on?"

At that moment, Harry stormed off, muttering to himself about "my right…my girlfriend…Dumbledore ought to know what's going on…Ron can't even turn a lizard into a proper pair of socks yet, he would probably end up hurting himself worse than Malfoy…" and Hermione shook her head, going up to her dorm room for some peace and quiet.

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"Why, Draco Malfoy, of course!" The Dark Lord exclaimed, and Draco's breath caught in his throat as his fellow Death Eaters turned to him, pushing him forward. He watched as Ginny fought to keep her face blank, but he could see all too well the fear and recognition.

"Draco Malfoy? The ferret?" she tried to look surprised and disgusted, but it wasn't working. The Dark Lord chuckled.

"You put on a good act, little Weasley, but your thoughts betray you. As do his," Voldemort gestured to Draco, who immediately worked to close his mind.

"You really think this is the best way to get to Harry? Get him to come to you? He fell for it once, with Sirius, but he'd never fall for it again. You're losing your touch, Riddle," she sneered, with a smirk worthy of a Slytherin. Draco had to admire her courage. The Dark Lord stood up moving directly in front of Ginny. She glared up at him, never breaking eye contact.

"But you see, that's the beauty of it. Dear Harry will know it's a trap, and yet he'll come for you even so. After all, it would be such a waste to let all that beauty get away from him," his voice was soft but steely, and his hand gently caressed the redhead's cheek. Draco's throat closed up, his blood pounding in his ears, and he barely restrained himself from pulling her away.

"Get away from me," she hissed at him. The Dark Lord smiled like the Cheshire Cat.

"Of course, it seems that Harry's going to be very disappointed when he finds out about what happened while you were here. I assume you'll be breaking up with the poor boy? Wise choice. It's not too late to redeem yourself of your family's blood traitor ways and joining the rest of the purebloods here, on the right side." Draco gasped silently at this, as he caught a glimpse of the young Tom Riddle, only wanting those he cared about on his side.

"In your dreams, Riddle." Those four words shattered it, and Tom Riddle turned back into the Dark Lord.

"Draco." He called coldly, and Draco swallowed hard and stepped forward.

"Yes, my Lord?" He bowed his head.

"What are your intentions with the Weasley girl?" the cold, blunt question startled Draco, and he sputtered a bit.

"My Lord, I am not sure what you mean," he answered finally, soliciting a furious glare.

"I mean, do you not wish to return to Hogwarts with her? Do you not wish to continue your relationship like so many teenagers before you have?" Draco looked at his feet.

"My Lord, I only wish to please you and help you achieve what we all want." He kept his eyes low and his voice steady.

"Draco, you are a teenager! You should have a little fun. So why don't you do what you've wanted to do since we brought her into my throne room? Go ahead, do it. None of us mind. After all, we've all been in love before," the Dark Lord smiled, urging Draco on, and it seemed that the blonde had no choice. He turned, ignoring everyone else in the room, and strode toward the redhead surrounded by Death Eaters. He dipped her slightly and pressed his lips against hers fervently. She responded automatically, wrapping her arms around his neck and deepening the kiss.

"I love you. No matter what," he murmured into her mouth, and then pulled away. That was when he noticed the pendant swinging around her neck. It was the same necklace he had given her for Christmas! She was still wearing it! Draco turned back to face the Dark Lord, taking Ginny's hand subconsciously.

"Well, well, well. It seems that Miss Weasley returns your feelings. That certainly is interesting," The Dark Lord mused, and the Death Eaters shuffled uncomfortably.

"My Lord, I beg of you, spare her. Keep her here if you must, but please do not kill her," Draco requested quietly.

"Draco, have you learned nothing? Your Lord is a kind one; he does not wish to force lovers apart. I never intended to kill her. Why don't you take her back to the dungeons? Conjure her a bed, maybe a lamp or two. You do not intend to make her suffer, do you?" Draco bowed, trying not to let the relief that was flooding through him show on his face. He pulled Ginny out of the chamber, followed by Nott, and led her back to the dungeon. He did as the Dark Lord had asked, conjuring up a comfy full-sized bed and a few lamps, then kissed her forehead and left. He did not return that night.

**Well? What did you think? Review and let me know! Any ideas are welcome, as is any constructive criticism. Just review! Hope you liked it!**

**- Ms. Bells Swan**


	17. Chapter 16: TheGreenandBlackFullSizeBed

**A/N: Ok, this chapter was one of those that didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. But…it just seemed so perfect! Hope you enjoy! By the way, I am in need of a character name. Someone distantly related to the Malfoys. Any ideas would be great…also, does anyone know if Tonks would be considered Draco's aunt? Hmmm…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter**

Chapter Sixteen

Ginny was brought before Voldemort twice more, both resulting in him sneering and taunting her, then Crucio-ing her for a few moments. Draco was physically restrained both times. Afterwards, he would carry her down to the dungeon, lie her on the bed, and leave. The nights in between he would sneak down and they would curl up together, cherishing each moment and trying not to think about what was probably coming next. One night, Draco came down to visit with no one to stop him. He couldn't figure out why there were no guards, but decided not to press the matter.

"Draco," Ginny cooed softly from her spot on the bed. She was dressed in the skimpy lace nightdress she had been given. It was green silk with black lace and spaghetti straps, only coming down to about mid-thigh. Draco eyed her hungrily, moving quickly to lie next to her.

"Hello, love," he whispered, his voice husky. He leaned in and kissed her forehead. Then her eyelids, her nose, each cheek, and her chin before his lips finally came to rest on her mouth, warm and firm. His hands gripped her hips, pulling her to him, and she moaned. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, and her deft fingers unbuttoned his shirt, pushing it off his shoulders. He moved his body over hers, and as she wrapped her legs around his waist, the door at the top of the stairs opened. Draco and Ginny were so distracted that they didn't notice the footsteps running down to the dungeons. They did, however notice the next noise that interrupted the silence.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON DOWN HERE?!?!?" Ron Weasley roared from the foot of the stairs.

"What the-RON?" Ginny cried as she pushed Draco off of her. "What are you _doing_ here?" Her face was flaming, her brother's face was purple, and Draco's face was deathly white.

"I could ask you the same thing," Harry whispered from behind Ron, looking as though he had just been smacked across the face.

"Harry, I…I'm so sorry!" she breathed, horror written all over her face.

"You're…sorry. Sorry about what, exactly? Sorry about being kidnapped in Hogsmeade or sorry about…_him_?" he spit the last word, gesturing to Draco, who was zipping up his jeans and putting his shirt back on. Hermione's eyebrows had shot up to her hairline and her arms were crossed, a smirk on her face as she watched all that was going on.

"Potter, what are you doing here?" Malfoy asked coldly, putting his arm around Ginny's waist.

"I've come to save my girlfriend," he announced rather cheesily, as if he were attempting to be Prince Charming. Draco snorted.

"Save her from what, exactly? Having a good time?" At this, Ron stepped forward.

"What good time? You aren't having any sort of GOOD TIME with MY LITTLE SISTER!" He jerked Ginny away from Draco and into Harry, who caught her and held her to his chest. Draco's glare intensified.

"I think that's up to her, actually." His voice was that of a Death Eater's.

"No. No it's not. Not while YOU are in the picture!" Ron snapped, throwing a hex at Draco. Harry tossed Ginny to Hermione and joined in, brandishing his wand. Ginny turned to her bushy-haired friend with a scowl.

"Hermione Granger, you tell me what's going on. I want the truth," Ginny glowered.

"Harry had a dream that you were here, being tortured by Voldemort. We snuck out of the school to save you. Only to find you in the middle of your…reunion with Draco." It was about this time that the Death Eaters rushed in, wands out, and Hermione started throwing hexes at them. Draco, no longer being attacked by Ron and Harry, threw Ginny's wand at her, and she joined Hermione, continuing their conversation.

"Hermione, I didn't mean to hurt Harry! I really didn't! And you know how I feel about Draco!" Hermione caused one of the hooded men to collapse, then replied.

"I also know how Harry feels about you! Ginny, he's been in love with you for quite some time now. And when you started the relationship, he was thrilled! I've never seen him so happy! He thought you had finally realized you had feelings for him! But then he found you…here. With Draco Malfoy, of all people!" She paused, ducking, and Ginny thought about it.

"But I only went out with Harry because I didn't want to hurt him! Surely he knew that I was still in love with Draco?" she called across the Dungeon. She was talking to Hermione, but it was Harry who responded.

"I had hoped I could help you get over the bloody little ferret! I had hoped that you'd at least give me as much of a chance as you gave him! But apparently not!" The words stung Ginny about as much as the cruciatus curse that hit her a millisecond after. The last thing she saw before blacking out was Harry, Ron, and Hermione being chased upstairs by the Death Eaters, Draco running to her.

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Draco was pacing the floor in his room, glancing at Ginny's unconscious form every few moments, as he had been for the past three hours. He couldn't believe he had let her get hurt like that. He had been in the middle of the battle, not quite sure who he was fighting for, when he had heard her scream. He had whirled around to see someone Crucio-ing her and lifting her to the ceiling, her screams cutting into him like a knife.

"No!" he cried, running toward her as she was slammed into the floor. He felt like he was running through cement. His feet wouldn't move fast enough. He saw Potter, Granger, and Weasel being chased upstairs, but he couldn't care less what happened to them. He only cared about getting Ginny the care she needed. He waved his wand, cleaning the dungeon, and then apparated up to his room, lying her in his bed. He knew that he should be downstairs with the Dark Lord and the rest of the Death Eaters, but he didn't care. He couldn't leave her in such a damaging condition. And it was better that no one find out his plans, anyway. After all, he didn't plan to keep Ginny here much longer. Not that they could go back to Hogwarts. He'd come up with something, though. He had to.

All of a sudden, Ginny's body jerked. She shot up, eyes shut tight, and coughed so much that Draco thought she would lose a lung. He strode to her, standing beside the bed until she stopped coughing. She lied back down, breathing heavily, and her hand found his.

"Draco," she murmured feebly, her voice weak and unused. "Wha-what happened?" she tried to open her eyes, failing.

"You were crucio-ed. And slammed to the floor. You blacked out. Been out for three hours," he summarized. She glared at him with the one eye she managed to open.

"Not what I meant and you know it." He sighed, rubbing her hand with his thumb.

"They got away. Weas-I mean, your darling brother Ron had a small cut on his cheek, Potter was limping, and Granger was shooting off spells like nothing I'd ever seen before." The words were hollow, but they made her smile and relax more.

"Okay. Are you okay?" she squeezed his hand, and he sat on the edge of the bed.

"I'll be fine. All you need to worry about right now is getting better," he watched her anxiously, his voice strained.

"I'm feeling better already. Although, I sure could use a restroom break." She fidgeted.

"Alright…it's through that door," he pointed out to her, motioning at the dark wooden door, and she moved to get out of the bed.

"I'll be right ba-AHH!" Ginny let out a cry of pain as she put pressure on her right leg, and she latched onto Draco as her legs gave out. Draco helped her to sit back down on the bed, then summoned a house elf.

"Dinky, summon my mother. Make sure she is alone and that no one hears of this but her. And don't mention Miss Weasley to anyone." The house elf nodded, bowed, and disappeared. Soon, there was a knock on the door.

"Draco, it's me," Narcissa Malfoy called. Ginny shuddered at the voice, but nodded at Draco who opened the door.

"Mother, I'm in desperate need of your help," he said softly, gesturing to Ginny.

**Ok, again. Please review. Any original character names would be greatly appreciated. And then there's the Tonks thing…**

**Hope you liked it!**

**- Ms. Bells Swan**


	18. Chapter 17: The Forest

**A/N: Ok. This chapter is a little…confusing? Maybe that's the word…but anyway, if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask. This chapter is dedicated to 7 for the great names! Love them and thanks so much! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I'm also getting extremely tired of saying this.**

Chapter Seventeen

"Mother, I'm in desperate need of your help," Draco murmured softly, gesturing to Ginny. Ginny froze, her eyes wide, waiting for a response from the stiff woman at the door. Slowly, Narcissa closed the door and walked forward, her eyes on Ginny.

"Draco, what's going on here?" she asked as she began to examine Ginny's throbbing leg.

"Ginny's hurt, Mum. Her leg is probably broken. I believe it happened when Dawlish slammed her against the ground. Knocked her unconscious for almost three hours. Can you splint it?" Draco requested quietly, and Narcissa smiled at him, a tense and tight-lipped smile but a smile nonetheless.

"Of course. But that isn't what I meant. I meant, what's going on between you and the Weasley girl?" Narcissa was waving her wand over Ginny's leg, murmuring incantations, and didn't see Draco's cheeks turn red. Ginny bit her lip to keep from laughing in surprise. Draco Malfoy was…blushing!

"Ah, well, you see," he started, but Ginny interrupted.

"Mrs. Malfoy, I'm in love with your son. I have been for a very long time. And I hope I'm not flattering myself when I say that I believe he loves me too." Ginny held her head high as she said this, and Draco nodded his approval at her serious but demure words.

"Well. Draco, I can't say I didn't notice the change in your attitude; I simply didn't realize the meaning behind it. It seems the Dark Lord was correct when he said you had feelings for her. And I can't say I approve, but if you've already made your choice…what say do I have?" Narcissa finished her spell and pulling a vial out of her handbag. She made Ginny drink it, and the redhead immediately tensed in pain. Draco rushed to her, watching anxiously as she smiled slowly.

"Is it…healed?" she asked hesitantly. Narcissa nodded, and Ginny stood up, skipping to the bathroom.

"Thank you, Mother." Draco bowed his head.

"For you, Draco, anything. If you need anything before you leave, don't hesitate to ask." She watched him sharply.

"Er, leave?" Draco feigned ignorance and she winked before leaving the room. Draco stared at the closed door in amazement for a moment, then sat on the bed. Ginny re-entered the room a moment later, dressed in her now-clean jeans and tank top, and sat next to him.

"So…" she trailed off, not wanting to say the words 'we need to talk' again.

"So…" Draco replied.

"What are we going to do?" she whispered, curling her knees up to her chest.

"I've got an idea. We just have to wait for the right time." He put his arms around her, pulling her against his chest. They sat there for awhile, talking over their plans.

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~

"Ron, calm down." Hermione pleaded as the redhead furiously paced the empty common room.

"No." he muttered.

"Please?" she looked up at him through her lashes and he blushed slightly before sitting quietly beside her. She grinned smugly for a moment before going back to her innocent look.

"Ron, what's wrong?"

"We…we left her there! With…_him_!!!" Ron wailed. Hermione nodded, putting her hand on his arm.

"We had to! She was hurt. It wouldn't have done any good to try to drag her out of there with all those Death Eaters chasing us," she reasoned.

"That's just it, though! She's hurt! And I'm not there to help her!" Ron put his head in his hands.

"Draco will take care of her, Ron. As hard as it is for you to accept it, Malfoy _loves_ Ginny. He'll take care of her!" Hermione reasoned. Harry walked in then, with a scowl on his face. He sat down next to Ron and leaned his head back, closing his eyes.

"We should go back to get her, though!" Ron begged.

"No." Harry's voice was dead and final, and Ron stared at his.

"No?!?"

"No. If the little slut wants to stay at Malfoy Manor with her precious little ferret, let her." Ron's eyes bugged out of their sockets, and his face went from red to purple to a nice shade of puce.

"My sister is NOT a slut. Don't you DARE say that about MY LITTLE SISTER!!!" Ron cried.

"Your little sister is a slut! She's a slut who's dating a MALFOY! And when we found them, they were IN BED TOGETHER! GET IT THROUGH YOUR THICK SKULL!" Harry and Ron were both standing, pointing their wands at each other, and Hermione shook her head.

"DON'T YOU SAY THAT ABOUT MY SISTER! Just because she's never kissed you like she kissed him does NOT mean you can just insult her like that! She's MY LITTLE SISTER!" Ron screeched.

"SHE WAS MY GIRLFRIEND!" Harry roared. "SHE CHEATED ON ME! I'M IN F***ING LOVE WITH HER AND SHE DOESN'T EVEN CARE!"

Silence rang through the common room as Harry stormed up to his dorm room, causing the people who had come down to watch the fight to scurry back to their rooms.

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"Ginny, it's time to go! Now, we have to go now. Immediately!" Draco was trying to wake the sleeping redhead.

"Ungh…go away," she groaned.

"NO!" he hissed, and she blinked, looking at him.

"Why not?" she glared.

"Because right now we need to GO!" he insisted. She shot up.

"Go? As in GO?!?" She was out of bed in a millisecond, slipping out of her nightdress and into her clothes, causing Draco to blush at the sight of her pale white skin. She didn't even realize what she had done, as she was searching the room for a shoe. Draco summoned it and handed it to her, along with her wand, and then they were sneaking out of the room and down the dark, silent hall. They made it out, after a small run in with a very loud portrait in the main hall, and Draco pulled her to the trees that surrounded the Manor, leading her blindly to the tall pine that he had stashed their stuff behind. They grabbed it, racing even further into the woods, where Draco stopped and walked in a circle while murmuring enchantments. Afterwards, he lied down on the grass and just lied there, breathing deeply and slowly.

"Draco?" Ginny called tentatively into the silence. The shadow that was Draco propped itself up on his elbows.

"Ginny," he sighed, obviously exhausted. Ginny was worried about him. He hadn't been getting nearly enough sleep lately, and the dark circles under his eyes were proof of that.

"Draco…where are we going to go?" She knew she sounded scared and small, and she felt it. He made an 'aghimf' noise and moved closer to her.

"Well, I've been doing some research on my family. I've discovered an aunt and uncle that aren't involved with the Dark Lord. They are sort of…hiding, but with some work I discovered where they are. We are going to visit them." That was all he said before lying back down. Ginny curled up against his side and they fell asleep.

They traveled through the woods for a week, conjuring food and water when they needed it. They traveled on foot and through apparating. The eighth day, they arrived at a small flat a ways away from the Manor. Draco straightened his robes before knocking on the door.

"Who is it?" came a deep, cautious voice from behind the green door.

"Someone who needs help. Needs shelter," Draco responded, pleading. The door opened a bit, then more as the person inside pulled them inside.

"Draco?" A woman whispered from the shadows, stepping out to reveal her shocked face. She was petite and curvy, but slender, with black curls flowing down her back and emerald almond-shaped eyes lined with thick lashes. She wore green and silver wizard robes. The man was tall with brown hair and brown eyes, a round nose and a tight-lipped smile.

"Aunt Valenxia, Uncle Noventus. I'm so sorry to intrude like this, but I had no where else to go," Draco had Ginny half-hidden behind his back. His aunt and uncle looked him up and down, taking in his dirty clothes, and motioned him to the sitting room. He pulled Ginny with him and sat her down on the couch next to him, in the least-lit part of the room.

"Draco, please explain. Why are you not at the Manor?" Valenxia asked in her high soprano voice.

"The Dark Lord has taken over the Manor. He found some…incriminating evidence, of sorts, and I had to leave. Sneak away. I hoped you would help me." He purposely left Ginny out of all this, and Noventus's eyes raked the girl for some sort of explanation.

"Draco, who is the girl you have brought with you?" he raised an eyebrow suspiciously. Draco took a deep breath before pulling Ginny into the light. The couple raised their eyebrows at the unmistakable fiery red hair.

"Aunt Valenxia, Uncle Noventus, this is Ginny. Ginny Weasley."

**Ok, so there you go. Hope you liked it and thanks to everyone who reviewed! I'll try to update soon!**

**- Ms. Bells Swan**


	19. Chapter 18: The Flat

**A/N: Ok, so this chapter isn't as long. But it was just so…hard to write. I'm not sure why. Anyway, this chapter is kind of a filler, to get the characters in position for the major action scenes…Anyway, I'm not sure how much longer this fanfic will be, unless I get some sort of major inspiration. I'm thinking the next chapter is going to be more romantic than anything else, but I'm not sure. If you have any ideas, let me know. Thanks for all the reviews so far, keep it up! It makes my day! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter!!!!**

Chapter Eighteen

Ginny and Draco had been living with Valenxia and Noventus Black for two weeks. They did everything they could to help around the house, such as laundry, cooking, and cleaning. They set into a decent routine, waking around eight for a 'family breakfast' and cleaning each room of the flat while Noventus was at work. Draco repaired things around the house, chopped wood, and did the things his uncle didn't have time to do. Ginny worked with the friendly Valenxia inside, preparing potions and salves, cleaning, and cooking with the food grown in the garden. For Draco, it was very _Little House on the Prairie_. For Ginny, it was familiar. She did exactly what she would have done at home with her own mum, only there were no irritating redheads running around. Valenxia was only a few years older than her, and it was comforting to be around a member of the Black family with the same morals that Sirius had.

Noventus was actually the cousin of Draco's mother, making him Draco's second cousin, but Draco had always known him as 'Uncle'. He had married Valenxia, a pureblood from a quiet, unsocial family, right out of Hogwarts, and they had disappeared shortly after Voldemort's return.

"I wonder where Noventus is at this hour." Valenxia sounded worried, glancing at the clock yet again. Draco looked up as well.

"Aunt Valenxia, why don't you sit down and relax? Ginny and I can finish cooking," he suggested as he guided his aunt to the couch and pulled Ginny back to the kitchen.

"What do you think is going on?" Ginny murmured, chopping up green onions and stirring them into the steaming pot of chicken broth.

"I have a hunch…but I hope I'm wrong…" he frowned, handing her some potatoes that he had just peeled. She chopped them up and was adding them to the soup when it happened.

_**BANG!**_ came a noise from the door. Noventus rushed in and, with a wave of his wand five locks appeared on the door and clicked shut.

"Val? Val!" he cried frantically, embracing his wife with relief as soon as she flew around the corner.

"Ven, what's the matter?" she asked, wide-eyed and shaking.

"We have to leave. Now. We need to go. Immediately! Burn the house down and go somewhere safe!" He had already waved his wand, causing four fully packed bags to zoom down the stairs.

"Uncle, slow down! Why do we have to leave?" Draco's voice was infuriatingly calm.

"Two Death Eaters followed me home. They found us! We have to go somewhere safe!" he cried.

"Where will we go? Who can we trust?!?" Valenxia was nearly sobbing. Suddenly, Ginny had an idea.

"We'll go to the Burrow. We'll go to the Order of the Phoenix." Her voice was soft and grave, and Noventus nodded.

"The Order will help us." He was so sure, Ginny hoped he wouldn't be let down.

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Molly Weasley was having a very bad week. Actually, it had been a very bad month. Four weeks ago, her only daughter had been kidnapped in Hogsmeade. Then, three weeks ago, she had found out that the Death Eaters had kidnapped her, and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was torturing her. Two weeks ago, Ginny and Draco had disappeared. No one knew where they were. Molly had hardly slept at all. The clock said that Ginny was 'At Home' and every time Molly saw that, she burst into fresh tears. The clock was malfunctioning, that was it. If her daughter was at home, Molly would know. If she was at home, Molly wouldn't have to worry.

She habitually glanced at the clock while folding laundry, only to freeze and drop the sheets she was rummaging through. The hand labeled 'Ginevra' had moved so that it was directly in between 'Mortal Peril' and 'Traveling'. She felt the tears well up in her eyes again and she fell to her knees, a sob breaking through her careful façade, and she clutched the clock to her chest.

"Molly?!?" her husbands voice was filled with alarm as he pulled her off the floor onto the couch. She buried her head in his shoulder and he rubbed her back, gently pulling the clock away from her. He gasped when he saw the change, and he wrapped his arms around her. She shuddered. Suddenly, a patronus flew through the window. It was a galloping horse, and it spoke in a hurried whisper that sounded strangely familiar.

"We're on our way. Please help us. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't an emergency. Be there in five," the horse galloped to the door, which opened to reveal a small girl with long red hair.

"Mom? Dad?" she called tentatively, before she was attacked by her mother in a hug. Molly didn't notice the buff white blond, tall brunette, and petite raven-haired group standing awkwardly behind Ginny, but Arthur did. He pulled his wand out and pointed it at Draco. Ginny gasped and pulled away from her mother. She stepped back to the group, taking Draco's hand, and Molly's eyes flew wide open.

"Arthur, put your wand away." she requested. When he didn't, she repeated herself, a bit frantically. "Arthur, for Merlin's sake, LOWER your WAND!" He sighed and lowered it, but didn't put it away.

"Mom, Dad, please. We need help. We need the _Order's_ help!" she stressed. Her mother smiled and nodded.

"Of course we'll help you, honey! I'm so glad you're safe!" She started for another hug, but Arthur restrained her.

"Why?" His voice was stiff and formal.

"Dad, I know you don't think you can trust me. Or Draco. But you can! I would never do anything to hurt you, and neither would he!"

"What sort of help do you need, Ginevra?" he asked coolly.

"Well…Valenxia, Noventus, and Draco need a place to stay, a place to hide. I plan on staying with them." She held her chin up, holding her father's gaze steadily. He nodded curtly, and motioned the four into the living room.

"Sweetie, why don't you introduce your…friends?" Molly flitted around, fidgeting and cleaning the cluttered room.

"Well, this is Noventus and Valenxia Black. They are Draco's aunt and uncle, and they come from the same family tree as Sirius did. They don't support Voldemort," she added, seeing the look in her father's eyes, and they all flinched at the name, especially Draco. "They were hiding away in the woods, but the Death Eaters that are looking for Draco and I followed Noventus home from work and…we had to leave. I brought them here because they need a place to stay." She averted her eyes from anyone. Arthur thought about this for a moment, before nodding.

"I'll see what I can do. Wait here, I need to get a message to Remus." He left the room, and Ginny was again tackled by her mother.

"Oh, Ginny, I'm so glad you're safe! I can't believe this! But…why are you with Draco?" The last part was spoken in a stage whisper, and Draco pretended not to hear. Ginny leaned closer to her mom, still holding Draco's hand.

"Mum, Draco and I are back together." Her mother's eyebrows shot up.

"But Ginny, what about Harry? You two were so cute together! And you got along so well…been friends since your first year!" She exclaimed, still in the false whisper. Draco's hand tightened on Ginny's at the mention of Harry, and he was visibly tense.

"Mum, Harry and I are better off just friends. Draco and I are in love." Molly went to argue, and Ginny shot her a look. "Mum, just drop it!" Her eyes were green fire, her voice emotionless. Molly 'harrumphed a bit, but didn't push the subject. Not much later, Arthur came back in.

"Alright, come on then. I know exactly where to take you," he said, motioning them outside and through the thick trees in the forest behind the Burrow. He stopped when he reached an iron trap-door in the ground, waving his wand at it. It slowly creaked open, and Ginny peered into it.

"Dad, what's this?" she questioned.

"This is your new home. This is the hideaway."

**Ok, well, there you go. Hope you liked it! Review! And send me any ideas you have, ok? Oh, and I'm want to apologize for not focusing on Ginny's singing. That was originally the main plot of this fanfic, but apparently the characters had other ideas. So the singing really didn't play any part other than to hook your attention. Sorry about that! But, like I said, it's their life. I'm just writing it.**

**Please Review!**

**- Ms. Bells Swan**


	20. Chapter 19: The Hideaway

**A/N: Soooo sorry this took so long to write. I had a major case of writer's block…and homework coming out my ears! Hope you like it! Thanks for all the reviews! Just so you know, this chapter is going to be one of the last ones. And, I am in need of a female original character. Any ideas would be great…I reallllly suck at finding names that fit with the story! So…enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.**

Chapter Nineteen

Draco, Ginny, Noventus, and Valenxia spent three weeks in that bunker. They were brought food and water by Molly, kept company by everyone from Tonks and Lupin to Fred and George, and protected. They went about life as normally as possible, excepting the fact that Noventus no longer went to work. Ginny tried to get used to it, to convince herself that life underground wasn't nearly as weird and unnatural as it felt, but for some reason she couldn't adjust. Draco was sliding back into the old 'emotionless man' routine, and he got more and more distant with every passing day. One day, whilst folding laundry, she simply couldn't take it anymore.

"Gah!" she cried, upturning the laundry basket. Clothing flew everywhere, but she didn't care. She slid to the floor, grasping at the sheets, tears spilling down her cheeks. She stuffed the clothes back in the basket, putting it on the counter in the window-less kitchen, trying to wipe the tears from her face. A loud, wrenching sob broke out of her chest, and she wrapped her arms around her torso. She leaned back against the wall, her sight blurry with all the tears she had held back.

"Ginny? What's wrong?" Draco's voice was deadpanned, laced with worry that was barely apparent. Suddenly, she couldn't take it. She felt the hate boiling up inside her. With no warning whatsoever, she lashed out at him, smacking him across the face. He stared at her, his emotionless mask slipping off his face and crashing on the floor. He raised a hand to the red handprint she had left.

"What's wrong?!? We're living here, in this HOLE IN THE GROUND, knowing nothing about what's going on outside! We've been here for three weeks, with no idea if we'll EVER get out! How can you stand there and ask me what's wrong?!?" she screeched. He nodded once in understanding, then moved to embrace her. She tried to push him away, and when that didn't work she took to smacking his chest repeatedly. He wound his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him, and she started shaking with the sobs convulsing her body.

"Ginny, it'll be fine. We'll get out of here somehow. We'll be fine," he whispered, pulling her to the couch. He sat down, pulling Ginny onto his lap, and wiped away the tear slipping down her face. She looked at him for a moment.

"Draco…" she whispered, her voice intense. "Draco, kiss me. Right now. Please," she begged. This shocked him. They hadn't had any sort of romantic encounter since that night in the dungeon. He had been positive that she would pull away immediately, telling him they had more serious things to focus on than dating. And now she was…begging him to kiss her, to make her forget everything but the two of them. And he suddenly wasn't sure if that was the best idea.

"Ginny…" he searched her eyes, unsure, and she deflated. She started climbing off his lap, and he pulled her back. "Ginny, I'm not going to help you run away from your feelings!" he protested. She narrowed her eyes, a wolfish grin spreading out on her face. She quickly leaned in, pressing her lips against his. She knelt with him on the couch, one of her knees on either side of him, and her hands played with his hair. His hands slid from her back to her hips to her thighs, and he explored her mouth with his tongue. She deftly unbuttoned his shirt, her hands roaming his white marble chest. He picked her up, her legs wrapped around his waist, and carried her to the bedroom that she had claimed as her own during their stay. He closed the door and they climbed onto the bed.

They didn't get much sleep that night.

The next morning, they woke up unclothed and wrapped in each other's arms.

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~

Two days later, Ginny was washing dishes when she felt something heating up in her pocket. She quickly pulled out the fake Galleon that Hermione had given her when the D.A. was trying to coordinate its meetings. To her immense joy, there was a message on it! Harry was going back to school to fight! Ginny was about to call for Draco when she heard him cry out. There was a _thud_ and she raced to see what was going on. Draco was propped against the wall, eyes squeezed tight, holding onto his left arm through his shirt. Ginny helped him to the couch, and he sat there tensely for a moment. Then he stood up and started to walk away.

"Draco! Where are you going?!?" She followed him into the next room, where he began putting dishes away.

"I'm cleaning," he responded gruffly.

"No way in hell am I letting this go, so you might as well tell me," she chased him around the room, watching him slam cabinets a little harder than normal.

"Letting what go?" He was done with the dishes, and walked toward the living room, straightening up.

"Tell me why you were in so much pain a minute ago!" she cried, turning him so that he was looking at her. He kept his eyes focused on the floor, glaring.

"It was nothing."

"NOTHING?!?" she exploded. "You were writhing in agony!!! What happened?!?"

"Ginny, you don't want to know. Trust me." He finally met her eyes, his gaze so intense that is scared her.

"Yes I do."

"Fine," he hissed softly. He slowly pulled his left sleeve up, eyes on her face. She gasped and took an involuntary step back when she saw the Dark Mark tattooed there. It was glowing softly, and suddenly she understood.

"Your Mark. It was burning, wasn't it?" she breathed.

"Yes."

"So, he's gathering everyone?"

"Yes."

"We need to go back to Hogwarts." She stated it simply and calmly, but the look on his face told her that he knew exactly how frightened she was.

"Why would we ever need to go back there? He's taken over there, too," Draco was incredulous, but curious. She quickly told him about the coin. He was silent for awhile, then nodded.

"Let's go," he said, taking her hand and pulling her to the trapdoor. They left a simple note for Noventus and Valenxia, then apparated away from the Burrow.

Gone to Hogwarts. Fighting You-Know-Who. Be back soon. Don't look for us.

Draco and Ginny

**Ok…well, hope you liked it! Like I said, I need an original character if you have any ideas! If not…we'll see how well mine turns out :P**

**Please review!!!**

**- Ms. Bells Swan**


	21. Chapter 20: The Great Hall

**A/N: Ok. So, just a warning, this is probably going to be one of the last chapters. Maybe this one and then one more. So, there's your warning. Hope you enjoy. And sorry it took so long to update. Things have been SOOOO crazy lately. And if you wanna blame someone for the lateness, don't blame me. Blame Brandon! Stupid boyfriends, distracting me and all. :P Anyway, enjoy!**

Chapter Twenty

Harry was up in the Astronomy Tower. Harry was pacing. Harry was depressed. Yes, he was having a pity party, but he didn't care. His girlfriend, whom he loved more than life itself, had cheated on him with his arch enemy. Everyone he had ever loved had either died or betrayed him. He was supposed to kill Voldemort, but he wasn't sure he could. All in all, his life sucked.

Harry's musings were interrupted but the sound of footsteps behind him. He whirled, wand out, to find a sixth year girl standing there, frozen. He glared at the girl, and she took a step backwards.

"I-I-I'm sorry! I d-didn't mean to i-i-interrupt!" she stuttered, her blue eyes wide. Harry sighed and lowered his wand.

"Whatever. It's not like I own the tower, is it?" he muttered more to himself than her, and turned away. She giggled nervously, crossing to the other side of it.

"I could go, if you…" she trailed off, her eyes flickering to the scar on his forehead and then back to his face. Her expression softened into something sympathetic, and almost as if she didn't realize she was doing it, she moved so that she was next to him. "Harry, right?" she asked, as if she didn't already know.

"Yeah. Harry Potter, Boy-Who-Lived and all that," he scowled.

"I'm Fox. Fox Diamond." She offered him her hand, and he shook it.

"I've seen you around."

"I'm a Ravenclaw sixth year. Friends with Luna Lovegood." As she said this, Harry couldn't help but wonder why she was being so friendly.

"Oh," was all he said. They stood in silence for awhile. Harry glanced at her occasionally, watching her short blonde hair float around in the slight breeze. At certain points, he could swear it looked blue, but he decided it was probably a trick of the light. Then he glanced at her face and did a double take. Her nose was changing shapes, like Tonks had done at so many of the Weasley dinners. He couldn't help exclaiming

"You're a metamorphmagus!"

She looked up, her nose going back to its original look, and smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah…all the women in my family are. I'm not particularly good at it, and whenever I'm deep in thought, I start changing looks. I know, I know. It's weird. And kinda irritating. But what am I gonna do, right?" She shrugged. He thought about that for a moment before speaking again.

"So, what are you thinking about?"

"Oh, just some stuff that's going on," she evaded him. He hesitantly took a step closer.

"You know, if you want to talk about it, I'm really good at fixing problems," he offered quietly. She closed most of the space between them, looking up into his green eyes, and he gazed back. Very slowly, she stretched up on her toes, and he unconsciously bent down. They were so close that he could feel her warm breath on his mouth.

"Oh, are you?" she asked. He couldn't remember what she was talking about.

"Er, what?" he asked. She chuckled lightly before pressing her lips gently to his, her hands resting on his chest and his hands lightly holding her hips. She pulled away, eyes closed, lips parted. Then she backed up, bit her full bottom lip, and looked at the floor.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think about-I mean, I just…I've got to go. Bye Harry," she waved awkwardly before making her hasty retreat, and Harry didn't have time to stop her from running. He leaned back against the railing of the tower, brushed a hand through his messy black hair, and touched his lips. He could still feel her kiss when he left the Tower three hours later, even more confused than before.

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"Harry, mate, where were you last night? You came back to the dorm room at dawn!" Ron exclaimed around a mouthful of bacon. Harry sighed. He was glad that he and Ron were friends again, but he really didn't want to explain about last night. He glanced at the Ravenclaw table and spotted Fox immediately. Her hair was flickering colors rapidly, which he figured meant she was confused. As if she could feel his gaze on her, she looked up and met his gaze. Her face went red, her hair froze at an embarrassed pink, and she hurriedly looked away.

"Harry, who are you staring at?" Hermione asked, ever the observant one. He sighed and glared at the eggs on his plate.

"No one. Nothing." He got up and stormed out, and they didn't stop him.

He wandered around with no actual destination in mind, until he found himself at the rocks that were the beginning of the path to Hagrid's. He sat down roughly, putting his head in his hands, and tried not to think. When that didn't work, he forced himself to face his fears and sort through his confusion.

He was in love with Ginny. He had been for a long time. But she had hurt him, and made it clear that she didn't feel the same way he did. He wished it were different, but he couldn't change her mind for her.

He was also attracted to Fox. It was a small, intrigued attraction, not instant love or anything, but it was an attraction none the less. The only problem was that he wasn't sure what to _do_ with that attraction. He had been hung up on Ginny for so long, he couldn't find it in him to flirt and be charming with someone who didn't already know everything about him.

"Harry?" A soft, musical voice came from behind him, and he stiffened. Fox was standing a few feet away, looking tentative. He patted the rock, and she sat silently beside him. "Harry, I'm sorry I kissed you. I mean, I really wasn't thinking. I know you've got a thing going with Ginny Weasley and-" she started. At the sound of Ginny's name, Harry froze and interrupted her.

"No, I don't. I don't have anything with Ginny. We broke up," he stated, trying to ignore the pain that shot through him when he realized that it was true.

"Oh." He could tell that Fox was trying to sound appropriately apologetic, but the smile on her face and the glimmer in her eyes gave her away.

"Fox, don't apologize. I'm not mad, or regretful, or whatever. Actually…I kinda enjoyed it." He blushed as he admitted this, and her grin got wider.

"Really?" she asked breathlessly. He nodded, not looking at her. She gave a kind of squeal and hugged him. "Harry, I really like you. I've liked you for a long time. Would you want to, maybe, go out with me?" Her voice was hopeful, her straight hair was springing up into tight curls, and her eyes were excited. Harry groaned.

"Fox…Fox, it's not that I don't like you. I do. It's just that…well, I don't think now is the best time for me to be in a relationship," he started. Her hair flattened out, turning a dull brown, and her eyes were such a dark blue, they were almost black.

"Oh."

"I just have so much to think about right now, and I can't afford a distraction. And…I mean, I'm supposed to kill Voldemort! I can't risk him knowing I care about you…he would try to use you against me. Just like he did with Ginny," the last part was whispered more to himself than her, and Fox frowned.

"What if I don't care? I'm pretty talented with a wand, and I can take care of myself!" she crossed her arms, looking stubborn. Harry shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Fox." He stood and walked away, wishing almost desperately that he could go back and change his answer.

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~

Ginny and Draco were in the Room of Requirement, along with the rest of the D.A. Ginny was having whispered conversations with Neville and Luna, while Draco was hiding in the corner, trying to ignore the stares and glares he was getting. Yes, he felt completely out of place. Yes, he felt like bolting out the door. Yes, he realized he was getting more and more pathetic every day. People were slowly filing into the room. They all looked grim and anxious, the way students look right before O.W.L.S. Draco watched them glumly, waiting with a kind of sick excitement for something to happen. Suddenly, Potter, the Weasel, and Granger burst in. Everyone fell silent. Potter hurried over to Neville, whispered something, and then stood back. Neville made a speech about what they were about to do and all that.

**A/N: So, I've decided I don't want to be one of those fanfic authors who goes and copies the entire final fight scene from the book. I also don't have time or energy to re-write the fight. So if you care that much, you can read it in Deathly Hallows. Just, you know, add Draco to the other side. Imagine him protecting Ginny. Also, at some point (if I were re-writing it) he would have faced his father. So…that's basically what happens here.**

**Let's skip to afterwards. Right after the fight. Draco is injured, in the Great Hall which is acting as the Hospital Wing at the moment.**

"Draco!" Ginny cried, sounding frantic and harassed. She had lost track of him in all the confusion, and she had been imagining the worst. She threw her arms around him, and he winced, air hissing through his clenched teeth. She stepped back quickly, sitting down next to the cot he was lying on.

"Draco, what happened to you?" she asked, scanning his body. Draco was holding his arm gingerly against his body, and it was wrapped in a brace. His legs seemed fine, and his face only had a few scratches, but his stomach was wrapped in a bandage stained with blood. Lots of blood. Her eyes widened and her pulse quickened. Draco noticed.

"I, er, ran into my father. He tried to get me to help him kill a group of first-years. I refused, making it clear which side I was on. He attacked me," Draco mumbled, looking away from her. She looked up and saw a certain silver-haired man standing in the Entrance Hall, looking uncertain. She saw him, and that was the last straw. Something inside her broke. She clenched her fists and narrowed her eyes, then stormed over to the Entrance Hall.

"How dare you? How DARE you come here now?!?" she glared at him. He looked a bit uneasy at the fact that he was being accosted be the small redhead, but he didn't say anything. "You have NO RIGHT to come here and pretend you care about him! You did this to him!" She stepped closer, getting right in his face.

"So you're the girl that caused my son to miss a family Christmas. The young Weasley girl. How…delightful," he sneered. She glared at him.

"Let's get one thing straight. From now on, you don't hurt him. You don't owl him. You don't talk to him. You don't even THINK about him. The only exception is if he owls or talks to you first. Period. You're done hurting him, so just go away!" And with that, she spun on her heel and strode back to Draco.

"What did you say to him?" Draco asked, watching his father walk out of the school.

"Just a bit of unfinished business to deal with," she responded, smiling to herself. She sat down again, taking his hand in hers.

"So everything's going to go back to normal?" he asked her.

"Looks like it. Classes will start again, people will come out of hiding. Everything's going to be fine." She smiled down at him. He smiled too, closing his eyes. And for the first time in months, they could sit in peace and dream of the future.

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~

"Harry!" Fox's voice called across the Great Hall as she stepped over to him. He smiled, and was about to greet her when she threw herself into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, burying her face in his neck. He held her just as tightly, suddenly finding he was unable to let her go. She pulled back just a bit, looking up at him, and smiled.

"I'm so glad you're ok," he started. She suddenly glared at him.

"Do you have ANY IDEA how scared I was? Do you know how much you scared me?!? I can't believe you actually went to surrender to YOU-KNOW-WHO!!! He could have killed you! He nearly did kill you!" she spoke softly, but frantically. He looked down into her eyes that were blue tinged with red, taking in her pale skin and frizzy hair.

"Fox, are you ok? I mean, you didn't get hurt or anything did you?" His arms tightened around her.

"No, I'm fine. What about you? I mean, you're really ok?" she stepped back and scanned his body, checking for serious injury.

"Fox, I'm fine!" he started. At her doubtful look, he smiled. "Let me show you just how well I'm feeling." She raised an eyebrow, her hair becoming curly and playful. He pulled her against him again, leaned down, and captured her lips with his. He kissed her gently at first, and she stood on her tip toes, deepening the kiss. He pulled back slightly, and she sighed, exasperated. Slowly, he pulled away, smiling. She smiled back for a moment. Then, her eyes darkened and her curls drooped until they were straight as a stick. She stepped back.

"Um, well. I'm glad you're okay." She turned and started to walk away, but he caught her arm.

"Fox, what is it? What's wrong?" His voice was saturated with worry, hurt, and confusion.

"Harry, I like you. I _really_ like you. I want to go out with you, get to know you. But…you don't like me. Or at least, you didn't want to go out with me last time we talked."

"Fox, I said I couldn't be in a relationship at that moment. I had a lot on my plate. I don't have anything that I have to worry about now!" He paused, took a deep breath, and continued. "Fox, would you like to go out with me?"

Her answer was clear before she even said it. Her hair turned a bright, happy pink and her eyes were huge and translucent blue.

"Yes, yes I would!" she chirped, throwing her arms around him again, and for the first time in years, he felt truly and completely worry-free and happy.

**Ok, there you go. What do you think of Fox? Review please!!!!**

**-Ms. Bells Swan**


	22. Chapter 21: The Wedding

**A/N: YAAAYYYYYY!!!!! The ending! This is officially the Very Last Chapter!!! Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter Twenty-One

_Three years later._

"Hermione, have you seen my tie?" Ron called, sounding slightly flustered. Hermione sighed and walked from the bathroom to the bedroom, her arms supporting her back. She caught a glimpse of herself in the full-length mirror and paused to adjust the way her blue empire-waist dress fell around her eight-months pregnant form.

"It's sitting on the bed with your freshly ironed shirt!" she called calmly to her husband. He started to mumble about how it 'wasn't there a few minutes ago, and she should say something when she moves his clothes". She shook her head, pinning back a few of her more crazy curls.

"Alright, I'm ready. Let's go downstairs, shall we?" he asked, walking towards her. She nodded, taking his arm, and they slowly made their way down the steep staircase in the Burrow. They met Ginny on the stairs, wearing the same dress only in green. She looked fed up, and Hermione decided to let her rant a bit.

"Ginny, what's wrong? You look furious," she started.

"Nothing's wrong!" Ginny snapped.

"Ginny, something's wrong. If nothing were wrong, you'd be smiling and helping your pregnant best friend down the stairs," Hermione pointed out. Ginny's face softened from cross to upset.

"I'm sorry. It's just…well, he's been avoiding me all day. And all yesterday. I think he wants to break up with me," she stopped, looking absently at the floor.

"Why would Draco want to break up with you? You've been going out for almost four years!" Hermione exclaimed.

"I don't know! Maybe it's the wedding. Maybe it's suddenly reminded him that my family is stark-raving mad. Oh, I knew it was a mistake to invite him. I should have just let it be!" Ginny cried. Hermione sighed and shook her head.

"He's not going to break up with you, Ginny. He's probably helping Harry get ready or something," she trailed off, remembering that they actually had things to do and places to be. "Speaking of which, we should probably get downstairs and see if the bride is crying yet." And with that, the trio continued down the stairs.

"Alright Ron. Go find the other men and help," Hermione instructed. She and Ginny went to the bride's dressing room, entering to find complete confusion. The bridesmaids were all frantically doing hair and make-up, except for Hermione and Ginny who had opted to get ready in their rooms. They had both been in weddings enough to know that getting ready on your own is easier. The bride was sitting in a pile of satin and chiffon and silk. Her hair was an odd shade of green, half in frizzy curls and half super straight but with the appearance of a lot of static electricity lifting it up into the air. She had her face in her hands, and she was bawling.

"Here we go," Ginny murmured to Hermione, and they went over to the girl.

"Fox, sweetie, what's wrong?" Hermione started gently. Fox looked up at them, her eyes rapidly changing colors. Her nose was changing shape with every blink or her eyes.

"I-I-I can't go out there!" Fox sobbed. Ginny sat down next to her.

"Of course you can, sweetie. You're just nervous. But you can definitely go out there! You love Harry. You want to spend the rest of your life with him!"

"I can't go out there looking like this!" Fox screamed, gesturing to her hair and face. Ginny nodded in understanding, looking at Hermione for help.

"Fox, you look amazing. You look like yourself. Remember what you look like? Blonde hair, blue eyes, a normal nose?" Hermione prodded her. Fox mouthed the description to herself, and she slowly returned to normal. While she did this, Ginny did a spell that gave Fox the perfect smudge- and tear-resistant make-up.

Finally, the bridesmaids were lined up, the guests were seated, the groom and groomsmen were lined up at the altar, and the bride was ready. The wedding procession started. Everything was perfect…except that Ginny still hadn't seen Draco, and she was really worried about having to walk down the isle alone. She was ten seconds from entering the church when there was a loud _Crack!_ from outside the tent and Draco walked in, looking flawless in his black tuxedo. He took her arm and escorted her down the isle, and all she could do was smile and pretend that everything was fine.

The ceremony was beautiful and touching and perfect. Fox's appearance stayed normal right up to the kiss. When Harry kissed her, her hair turned pink and her eyes turned a translucent blue. She was crying happily as they left the tent, letting the caterers transform it into a reception hall.

"Where were you?" Ginny asked Draco while they were dancing.

"I left something at the Manor. I had to fetch it, and I got held up," he answered with a grimace. She was so surprise that she stopped dancing for a moment.

"You left something at the Manor? You haven't been there since…since we ran away," she whispered the last part, remembering the horrid days when she had been prisoner.

"I know," he murmured back.

After a bit of dancing, Draco led her out of the tent and through the woods. They came to a familiar clearing, with a familiar swing. He sat her down on it. She looked up at him, wondering what he was up to.

"Ginny, how long have we been dating?" he asked.

"Around four years," she responded softly. He nodded.

"And do you believe that in those four years, we've come to love each other?" he asked. She inhaled quickly at the question.

"Absolutely."

"I believe so, also. Do you know what I went back to the manor for?" He asked.

"Er…no, I don't," she started. He sat beside her, staring into her eyes while bringing something out of his pocket.

"I went back to the Manor to get this," he started. He opened his hand to reveal a glorious diamond ring sitting in his hand. She stopped breathing. "It was my great grandmother's ring. I want you to have it. I…I want you to wear it for the rest of your life." Here he slipped off the swing and onto the ground, on one knee. Her heartbeat sped up, her eyes filling with tears.

"Draco…"

"What I'm asking is…Ginevra Molly Weasley, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?" he looked up at her, waiting for an answer, and the tears spilled over.

"Yes," she whispered, breaking into a grin. "YES!" she shouted, for all to hear. He beamed, slipped the ring onto her finger, and kissed her gently.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," she whispered back before reclaiming his lips with hers, the sunset casting golden rays of liquid light on them.

**So….what'd you think??? PLEASE REVIEW!!! I'll be posting another chapter as a sort of author's note, so be on the lookout. And there's a chance I'll start another fanfic at some point, so keep an eye out. Hope you enjoyed.**

**-Ms. Bells Swan**


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